Penguins Blog

2022 round 4 #118 overall by Pittsburgh Penguins

Sergei Murashov is 6″ 168lbs goaltender who was drafted in the 4th round by the Penguins in the 2022 NHL draft. He lacks size but is an excellent puck tracker. He lacks high end athleticism but loves to challenge shooters.

The 20 year old is currently playing in his first season in North America. He previously played in the KHL (Russia’s elite league) and the MHL (Junior League) which he both dominated. Murashov has dominated every level that he has played in. A great sign for penguins fans.

The penguins have a strong history of drafting goaltenders in the past years as they drafted: Matt Murray, Filip Gustavsson, Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist.

Murashov is currently playing in the ECHL to get more ice time as the WBS Penguins have Joel Blomqvist and Filip Larsson a head in the depth chart. Blomqivst was called up by the Penguins earlier this season and played solid. I expect him to become the backup next year giving Murashov the chance to play in the AHL. The ECHL is slowly becoming a development league unlike years prior where it was considered a regression to be sent down from the AHL. 12 players made their debut in the NHL this year after having played in the ECHL.

Murashov is years away from being NHL ready. He has potential but is still considered a project by scouts. He has made an easy transition to North American hockey posting a .919 and a .929 this season in the AHL and ECHL. I don’t expect him to make his NHL debut for another 4 years. Goalies usually tend to take longer to develop and with Blomqvist being regarded as the future #1 goalie for the pens. I don’t expect Murashov to get called up any time soon. It is still too early to tell what his projection is but he keep in mind he a better season after getting drafted than Andrei Vasilevskiy did at the same age. He has the potential to be elite.

NHL certainty: NA