Obviously, there is such a thing as getting too far ahead of the curve in sports.
Anything can change at any moment. Players can look like all-timers one day and the league’s worst the next. Organizations can change gears depending on results and on the pipeline. There is an element of unpredictability in sports – and, in this case, hockey – that makes them exciting.
And that is especially true with young players. On Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins debuted their top goaltending prospect, Sergei Murashov, at home against the Los Angeles Kings on the second leg of a back-to-back. Murashov, 21, earned the call-up after a roaring start at the AHL level for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins – which included a .931 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average – and after it was announced that veteran netminder Tristan Jarry would miss at least the next three weeks with a lower-body injury.
The Penguins may have dropped the contest, 3-2, but Murashov had some moments to shine. And – regardless of the result – the fanfare around his debut speaks to a larger narrative.
The game against the Kings was their second sellout of the season, and yeah, it probably had a thing or two to do with the fact that it was a Sunday afternoon game and that the Pittsburgh Steelers did not play until the evening since they were in San Diego to face the Chargers. But this team is also just exciting, and a large part of that has been the emergence of a trio of young players who have fans looking forward to the future – and who have been helping the Penguins win hockey games.
Murashov – along with 18-year-old forward Ben Kindel and 19-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke – are all now on the Penguins’ current active roster. Each of them are the best prospects at their respective positions that the Penguins have to offer right now, and each of them has made a sooner-than-expected NHL arrival.
Takeaways: Penguins Fall To Kings, 3-2, For Third Loss In Four Games
After earning just one of four points on a back-to-back weekend set against the <a href=”https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/”>New Jersey Devils</a> and <a href=”https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings”>Los Angeles Kings</a>, the <a href=”https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins”>Pittsburgh Penguins</a> may just welcome the brief Swedish vacation they’ll embark on starting Monday.
Of course, things are just beginning for Murashov. Brunicke has not received consistent playing time as of late, and a decision about his future looms since he hit the nine-game mark Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And Kindel continues to impress at the NHL level this season, as he has five goals and seven points in 15 games.
Even if things aren’t coming to fruition at the same time for each of them, one thing is abundantly clear: The Penguins have more talent in their system right now than they have in many years, and these three players figure to be a huge part of their future.
In fact, they very well could represent three key pieces of their future core. And because the Penguins might have that “core” piece at each position already in their organization and making some degree of impact at the NHL level, it could certainly change a lot about the Penguins’ approach to building out the rest of the team.
Kindle, a center, has shown an NHL readiness that not many expected so soon. At 18, he doesn’t look a touch out of place, and his all-around game is already operating at a high level. So far, he is looking like a lottery-level talent, and the Penguins may just have a core or franchise-level center on their hands – something that certainly helps a rebuild along.
Then, there is the smooth-skating Brunicke, who – even if he may not quite be as NHL-ready as Kindel has shown up to this point – is pretty advanced for a teenage blueliner. Once he gets up to NHL speed on his reads – namely in the defensive zone – he should be a force to be reckoned with, as he has shown high-ceiling ability in transition and offensively and could be a top-pairing defenseman a few years down the road.
And, as for Murashov – the newest arrival – it’s difficult to point to a goaltending prospect the Penguins have had with this much hype since Marc-Andre Fleury, who debuted with Pittsburgh in 2003 and retired second all-time in wins. The young Russian netminder has dominated at every level of professional hockey in his young career, and he was the Penguins’ best goaltender throughout the pre-season. His stint may not last beyond Jarry’s injury, but if he shows well, the Penguins could rest assured that they may have a star talent waiting in the wings.
Of course, a lot else needs to go right, too, for the Penguins to have a sustained window of success in the future. They will probably need another center as part of their core, and that could be someone they may or may not already have. A left defenseman to complement Brunicke would be ideal as well, in addition to a top-line winger – someone the Penguins may also already have in Rutger McGroarty.
But, if the trio of Kindel, Brunicke, and Murashov do pan out and are part of that future core for the Penguins, that means the future is already here – and that means it’s looking bright, too.
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