I confess, starting with the questionable acquisition of veteran forward Kevin Hayes and running on through some checkered free-agent pickups, the Penguins haven’t exactly given me a whole lot of reasons to smile this summer.
Even the relatively upbeat news that we signed top prospects Brayden Yager and Tanner Howe (who I really like) to entry-level contracts failed to significantly buoy my sagging hopes regarding the black and gold.
That all changed with the announcement that we signed Russian goalie Sergei Murashov to a three-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday, along with the equally exciting news that he plans to play in North America this season.
Although his deployment is hardly set in stone, it’s anticipated Murashov will begin his pro career at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’ll likely split time with fellow prospect Joel Blomqvist.
The kid’s numbers, compiled mostly at the Russian junior level, are nothing short of jaw-dropping. While backstopping the Yaroslavl Loko Jr. team in 2022-23, he posted a stunning 1.53 goals against average and .948 save percentage (!!) along with an otherworldly 11 shutouts…in only 37 games.
