March Penguins Prospects Update: Goaltenders
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)There are some exciting developments down on the farm for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With more talent in the system than they've had in recent memory, the Penguins have several prospects of interest to keep an eye on. We close out our March Penguins Prospects Update with goaltending.
Sergei Murashov
If you've been paying any mind at all to the Penguins' farm system, it's becoming increasingly harder to ignore what Murashov is doing in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS).
He has already broken the WBS rookie record for consecutive wins, and he is currently tied for the franchise record for consecutive wins with 11, previously set by John Curry in 2008-09. Murashov is 11-0-0 with a shutout and a .916 save percentage at the AHL level this season, and he has been starting the majority of games in the team's stretch run.
He is still a raw prospect and needs to refine things such as his rebound control, but his athleticism, anticipation, and quickness post-to-post is better than any goaltending prospect the Penguins have had in quite a while.
If you're a Penguins' fan, you need to start paying attention to the 20-year-old Murashov. Development still needs to happen for the young Russian goaltender - who, prior to this stint, hadn't owned a save percentage below .920 in any professional league (including the KHL) since he was 16 years old - but this kid appears to be the real deal.
In fact, he may just be the Penguins' best prospect.
Joel Blomqvist
Feb 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Joel Blomqvist (30) looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)Blomqvist, 23, saw two different NHL stints this season. The first was at the beginning of the NHL season, and it was a good one. The second one? It was clear that some development still needed to happen for Blomqvist, so he was sent back to WBS on Mar. 3.
At the NHL level this season, Blomqvist put up an .885 save percentage, and he has a .910 save percentage with a 7-5-3 record at the AHL level this season.
The trouble is that Blomqvist has been dealing with an injury ever since, so he has not seen an AHL game since Feb. 16 and hasn't seen a game, period, since Mar. 2. Even if he does manage to come back before the end of the season, he is not likely to see that much action because of the way Murashov has suddenly solidified himself as the starting goaltender for WBS.
Filip Larsson
Sep 21, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Filip Larsson (31) during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)Larsson, 26, has also been spectacular for WBS this season. Although Murashov has been getting the biggest workload recently, Larsson is still showing that his 2024-25 AHL season is no fluke.
He has an 11-8-3 record with a .916 save percentage across 24 games this season. Injuries have kept him from putting together a full season, but when he's been the guy, he's been reliable.
However, Larsson has struggled a bit in the month of March, posting just an .877 save percentage with a 2-4 record to go along with it. Still, he's had a solid season, and Penguins fans should be happy with where his development is at.
Taylor Gauthier
Gauthier, 24, is now the starting goaltender for the Wheeling Nailers with Murashov out of the picture.
And he has not disappointed.
The 6-foot-2 netminder from Calgary is 13-10-2 with a .925 save percentage this season, which ranks fifth in the ECHL among qualified goaltenders. He is following up his 2023-24 ECHL Goaltender of the Year season with another strong campaign.
Although his future is in the NHL is a longshot because of the guys in front of him at this point, he is proving to be a reliable depth option in the Penguins' system.
Jaxon Castor
Unlike Gauthier, Castor has struggled a bit at the ECHL level this season. The 28-year-old undrafted goaltender - a lefty - is 5-6-1 with an .869 save percentage on the season.
He is doing his best in a backup role for the Wheeling Nailers, but Gauthier is getting the vast majority of the starts for a reason.
Thomas Gale
Although Gale, a 24-year-old netminder from Kirkland, Quebec, has not yet played an ECHL game yet this season - he just transferred to Wheeling on Mar. 28 for an amateur tryout (ATO) - he did enjoy a solid NCAA season for the College of the Holy Cross.
In 39 games played for the Crusaders, he put together a 24-13-2 record with a .927 save percentage and two shutouts. Upon arrival, he will likely get some runway for a chance to assume the backup role behind Gauthier for Wheeling.
He may be someone to keep an eye on in the Penguins system if he does, indeed, stick with the team.
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