Goaltender Joel Blomqvist got into his first NHL action this past season with the 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 TeamEarlier this off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded defenseman Conor Timmins and prospect Isaac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for blueliner Connor Clifton and a second-round pick.
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