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Penguins' Netminder Showdown: Blomqvist or Silovs to Back Up Jarry?
The Penguins will start with Tristan Jarry in net, but as a backup, there's going to be a battle raging between Arturs Silovs and Joe Blomqvist for the key role.
Last season was a disappointing year for the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the biggest issue on this struggling team being their goaltending, as they couldn't get anything from starter Tristan Jarry.
Instead, the team relied upon rookie Joel Blomqvist and veteran Alex Nedeljkovic, but heading into 2025/26, Jarry is back in the starters net, and it appears there is a major battle brewing for the backup role.
Why Kyle Dubas Shook Up the Penguins' Goaltending Depth Chart
With the Penguins looking towards the future, GM Kyle Dubas clearly wanted to bring in young goaltenders to battle for a spot, with Joel Blomqvist and Arturs Silovs both representing the future of the organization.
On top of that, the franchise have Sergei Murashov waiting in the wings, and whoever loses this battle and begins their season in the AHL will need to contend with the 2.64 GAA and .913 save percentage he put up in 16 games with the WBS Penguins a year ago.
Blomqvist's Steady Style vs. Silovs' Flash - Who Wins the Job?
For now though, the team will look to Blomqvist and Silovs to impress this summer, with both getting their first full taste of NHL action a season ago as they look to find a full time role in 2025/26.
Last year, Blomqvist posted a 3.81 GAA and an .885 save percentage, but playing behind a struggling Penguins team, while Silovs struggled to a 3.64 GAA and an .861 save percentage for the Canucks over 10 games.
Both did thrive in the AHL however, posting sub 3.00 GAA's and save percentage's of .908 or above, but now, they're both expected to take the step up to being full-time NHL backups.
The battle will likely come down to how they perform in training camp, and while it's expected that both will get some game time behind Jarry this season, the decision could be key to how the 2025/26 campaign plays out for the Penguins.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 29 | 32 ANSWERS Penguins' Netminder Showdown: Blomqvist or Silovs to Back Up Jarry? Who should start 2025/26 as the Penguins backup? | ||
| Joel Blomqvist | 8 | 25 % |
| Arturs Silovs | 24 | 75 % |
| List of polls | ||