Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Avery Hayes and Sergei Murashov buzz grows as Penguins quietly eye an internal boost
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Avery Hayes and Sergei Murashov are pushing the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the call-up talk feels real.
Josh Yohe put the idea out there, and it landed with a thud of possibility.
If the Penguins want juice down the stretch, these two are sitting right in the system.
Hayes already showed the NHL speed is not too big for him.
On Thursday, February 5, he scored twice in his NHL debut in a 5-2 win over Buffalo.
That is not a “nice story.” That is a player forcing a conversation.
Hayes is 23, undrafted, and signed a two-year entry-level deal on March 13, 2025 that runs through 2026-27, with an $830,000 cap hit.
In Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has 16-10-26 in 32 AHL games this season.
Avery Hayes gives the Pittsburgh Penguins a real option
Penguins fans have learned to flinch at “small sample” talk, but this one feels different after that Buffalo burst.
Hayes plays straight lines, gets inside, and finishes before the goalie sets.
That skill matters when games tighten and power plays dry up.
Murashov is the other name to watch, especially if the crease gets shaky.
He is 21, drafted in 2022 in the fourth round by Pittsburgh, and he is stacking wins in the AHL.
Murashov sits at 18-5-0 with a 2.11 GAA and .924 save percentage, plus two shutouts.
Pittsburgh is 29-15-12, so this is not a lost season where you “try stuff.”
This is a real standings race, and cheap internal help is gold.
If Hayes stays up, the ripple is simple, someone in the bottom-six loses air.
If Murashov gets a look, it is because the Penguins believe he can steal points, right now.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Sidney Crosby autograph moment sparks awkward drama after Team Canada practice
Sidney Crosby autograph moment sparks awkward drama after Team Canada practice