Goaltender Joel Blomqvist got into his first NHL action this past season with the Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins]. Overall, the young goaltender ran into some trouble adjusting to the NHL level with Pittsburgh, as he had a 4-9-1 record, a 3.81 goals-against average, and a .885 save percentage in 15 appearances. While Blomqvist struggled with consistency while on Pittsburgh's roster this past campaign, there is a clear reason to believe that things could change on that front in 2025-26. The 2020 second-round pick has shown plenty of promise while at the AHL level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and it would not be particularly surprising if he broke out with Pittsburgh next season because of it. While down in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this past season, Blomqvist recorded an 8-7-3 record, a .914 save percentage, and a 2.84 goals-against average in 18 games. This was after he had a 25-12-6 record, a .921 save percentage, and a 2.16 goals-against average in 45 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2023-24. With numbers like these, it is hard not to feel some optimism about Blomqvist's future. It is now just a matter of him translating some of this kind of play over to the NHL level. Overall, Blomqvist will certainly be a breakout candidate to watch for the Penguins in 2025-26. He has the potential to improve as he continues to gain more experience, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of campaign he has from here. Ex-Penguins Defender Signs Multi-Year Deal With New Team [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/16cb03ea-868f-40bc-a80b-186efce14e87.webp] Ex-Penguins Defender Signs Multi-Year Deal With New Team Earlier this off-season, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> traded defenseman Conor Timmins and prospect Isaac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for blueliner Connor Clifton and a second-round pick. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/ex-penguins-defender-signs-multi-year-deal-with-new-team] Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
