Does Joel Blomqvist Have Big Future in Penguins’ Net?

Joel Blomqvist might well be the Pittsburgh Penguins’ goalie of the future.

He’s been labeled that for a while, and understandably so, given his quickness and history of making timely saves.

Sure, Sergei Murashov might give him some competition for that designation. Alex Nedeljkovic is only 29, so maybe he’ll contend for the role, too. Heck, even Tristan Jarry, also 29, might somehow be a factor if he can get his game in order.

This much, however, is clear: Blomqvist is not, the Penguins’ go-to goaltender of the present. Or, at least, of the recent past.

Nedeljkovic has started six of the Penguins’ past seven games, and while the goalies seem likely to split the workload this weekend – the Penguins will visit the New York Rangers Friday and Philadelphia Saturday in their final games before the Four Nations tournament break – Nedeljkovic figures to get the bulk of the work until he stumbles.

That means Blomqvist probably will continue to spend most of his time at the far end of the bench, doing nothing more strenuous than occasionally opening the gate there for teammates who are leaving the ice.

While being idle so often on game nights makes it tough for any goaltender to stay at the top of his game, that’s especially true of younger ones. Blomqvist, who is 23 and has appeared in just 10 NHL games — all of them in 2024-25 — qualifies on that count.

Nedeljkovic agreed that “it’s a little bit” harder for young goalies to keep an edge on their game when they’re not playing regularly, but said it’s a challenge for anyone who plays the position.

“It’s hard to get into a rhythm,” he said. “You can have practices, play them as game-like as possible, but at the end of the day, it’s not the same. You can give up (a goal on) every shot in practice, and it doesn’t matter. Obviously, you get into a game and every puck could be the difference between winning and losing.

“It’s hard to stay mentally focused, to stay committed to having the details and all. But it’s something you have to learn. Some guys are fortunate – they don’t have to go through it as much in their careers – but it’s a part of the job. Eventually, you’re going to go through stretches where you’re not going to play that often.”

Blomqvist is enduring one of those now and, predictably, cited on-ice workouts as a key to keeping his game in order.

“I put in a good effort in the practice to stay sharp,” he said. “Practice is where I can get confidence.”

Blomqvist made his most recent start in a 4-1 loss at Seattle Jan. 25, when he allowed four goals on 25 shots. For the season, he is 3-7, with a 3.59 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.

He was 6-4-2, with a 2.93 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 12 games with the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre. Not surprisingly, he has noticed differences between the shooters he faced in the minors and those he must try to stop now.

“The shooters are more skilled here,” he said. “Overall, the pace is faster here. You need to be able to get set quickly here for the shot.”

Regardless — and even though the Penguins are just 22-24-9 — Blomqvist said he has gotten comfortable competing at this level.

“I’m feeling pretty good when I play,” he said. “I feel like I grow every day and get more familiar with the environment here. I feel like I’m growing all the time.”

Nedeljkovic shares that perspective, and suggested that Blomqvist’s commitment and work ethic are part of the reason he believes Blomqvist will be effective the next time he’s called upon.

“He’s out there early before practice and later after practice, working on his craft and getting better,” Nedeljkovic said. “It’s going to go a long way, when he gets back in there. It’s just going to look natural. … We know that when he gets in the net, he’s going to be there for us and come up with some big saves.”