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'Make It Or Break It': Penguins Top Goalie Prospect's Future Will Be Decided This Season
Photo credit: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Penguins analyst Kelsey Surmacz has declared that 2025-26 will be a "make it or break it" year for Penguins prospect goaltender Joel Blomqvist.
The Penguins took a new turn in their goaltending direction with the trade of Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks along with the acquisition of Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks.
This means there will be healthy competition between Silovs, Tristan Jarry, and Joel Blomqvist for playing time.
Can Blomqvist Win the NHL Job Over Silovs in Training Camp?
Blomqvist, who was taken with the 52nd overall pick by the Penguins in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, got in several games of NHL experience last year. He went 4-9-1 with a 3.81 GAA and .885 SV%.
The de facto starting role goes to Jarry, who is the 1st name on the Penguins' depth chart ahead of Blomqvist and Silovs. But both younger goalies could have something to say about that in training camp, which begins later this month.
Why 2025-26 Could Define the Future of Penguins' Goaltending
Penguins analyst Kelsey Surmacz has declared that 2025-26 will be a "make it or break it" year for Penguins prospect goaltender Joel Blomqvist.
Even if it's not quite fair for a 23-year-old goaltending prospect, this really is a "make-it-or-break-it" year of sorts for Blomqvist. He needs to earn the other NHL job out of camp, and if he doesn't quite do that, he needs to show that he is the clear man for the job in WBS so he is the first on-call.
He has a year left on his contract with an affordable AAV (average annual value) of $886,667 before he can become an RFA next summer.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 1 | 20 ANSWERS 'Make It Or Break It': Penguins Top Goalie Prospect's Future Will Be Decided This Season Will Joel Blomqvist win the backup role behind Tristan Jarry? | ||
| Yes | 11 | 55 % |
| No | 9 | 45 % |
| List of polls | ||