After the shocking news broke Wednesday that goaltender Tristan Jarry was headed to waivers, Pittsburgh Penguins GM and POHO Kyle Dubas didn’t waste any time confirming who his replacement was going to be.
“At this point, we just feel it’s best in the long run for the team and for Tristan to allow Joel [Blomqvist] to come up here,” Dubas said. “We think over the past year and a half, with his play in Wilkes-Barre and when he’s been up here with us, he’s earned the right to have a go at it, and we get a chance to see what he can do in a prolonged look.”
When examining Dubas’s words, this isn’t just a call-up for the sake of a change. The organization clearly sees something special in the 23-year-old Blomqvist, who is one season removed from earning AHL first-team All-Star honors.
So, no, this isn’t just a chance for Blomqvist to fill in for who has been the starting goaltender at the NHL level for the Penguins since 2019-20.
It’s his chance to be Jarry’s successor.
During Blomqvist’s distinguished 2023-24 AHL season – his first full season in professional hockey – he went 25-12-6 with a .921 save percentage and 2.16 goals-against average in 45 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Last season’s resounding success led to an opportunity in training camp this season, and when Alex Nedeljkovic went down with an injury in the pre-season that was going to keep him out week-to-week to start the regular season, Blomqvist got his first shot at the NHL level.
And he did not disappoint. Through eight starts, Blomqvist put up a .904 save percentage – which included one outlier game against the Dallas Stars, where he gave up three goals on eight shots. Taking out that lone performance, he had a .913 save percentage while facing a team-high shot volume average of 36.
Despite his numbers, he only got three wins during that span, and one of them was a statement 34-save performance against the Washington Capitals in a 4-2 win on Nov. 8. Another standout performance included a 46-save effort against the Edmonton Oilers, which – although a 4-0 loss – again showcased his poise and confidence against the very best league’s very best opponents.
“He was great when he was playing in those games,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. “He has a sense of calmness about him. It really helps when you play defense in front of a guy like that.”
That poise and confidence is something that has stood out to teammates, coaches, and management alike. But another thing that stands out about Blomqvist’s ability at the highest level of hockey is his athleticism, which was touted by both head coach Mike Sullivan and the guy he’ll be sharing the net with.
“It’s fun to watch,” Nedeljkovic said. “He’s technically, fundamentally, very sound. He moves really well, and he’s athletic as well. Like, he can make those saves you don’t expect guys to make, right? Those one or two extra saves a night that helps a team win and puts you over the top as individuals.”
Sullivan pointed to Blomqvist’s lateral movement as a standout aspect of his toolbox.
“He competes hard on pucks,” Sullivan said. “He’s really athletic. His lateral mobility, his lateral agility, his ability to get post-to-post is exciting. He’s a good goaltender.”
And a good goaltender is exactly what the Penguins are going to need if they expect to make a run for the playoffs. As of now, they are dead last in the league in goals against per game at 3.67, and their .888 save percentage is the third-worst mark in the NHL.
Their goaltending is something that has let them down this season, and – given that seven of their last eight losses have been one-goal games in the third period – good goaltending is something that could spell the difference between wins and losses in a lot of these tightly contested games.
Given Blomqvist’s poise, his athleticism, and the fresh, youthful energy that he should inject into the position, he may just be the guy who can help the team win enough games to stay alive in what could be a consequential season for the organization moving forward.
There are so many different ways that the rest of this season can go for Blomqvist and for the Penguins. But he has a chance to soldify himself as “the guy” for the future of this team, and it all starts this weekend when the team embarks on a crucial 15-day road trip.
“It’s fun,” Nedeljkovic said. “It’s exciting to see, especially as a young guy to come in and get a chance like this so early on in his career. We saw glimpses of it there at the start, and hopefully, he can bring that same level of competition and consistency for us here down the stretch.”
