Sergei Murashov surprises in showing up, but when will he be here for good?

The Penguins’ talented young goalie shows up at camp

The Penguins had a late addition to the party known as their 2024 summer development camp.

2022 fourth round pick Sergei Murashov showed up, in and of itself notable since young Russians typically don’t engage in person in North America with NHL teams until they sign contracts.

“It’s a little bit to be determined, things are a little more complicated sometimes when it comes to the Russian players, determining their eligibility and where they are,” Spezza said in what you could call a moderate understatement.

“Sergei’s a guy we would like to have over if it works out. If not, we’ll put him on the right development path over in Russia. We’re happy to have him here, it’s important to get him in person for him to be around Pittsburgh, to be with our goalie coaches. Just kinda see how things are here, whether it’s this year or a future year. It just creates that familiarity for him. It’s great that he was able to make it, it was last minute, we did everything we could to get him over here. ”

Murashov, 20, is up for grabs at the moment. He has not yet signed a contract with Yarsolavl, his hometown team for next season. Playing time at the top level league (KHL) has been difficult to come by on what is traditionally one of the stronger teams in the league, Murashov only played six KHL games in 2023-24. Murashov has mastered the junior equivalent MHL (24-4-4 record, .930 save% last year) and should be looking for bigger challenges ahead.

Which makes him popping up in Pittsburgh this summer all the more intriguing.

While it’s been generally assumed that Russian players (and especially Russian goalies) aren’t keen to come over to North America only to play for the low salary and tougher life of the level that’s acquired the moniker of the Always Hungry League, these days that trend is reversing. From Pyotr Kochetkov to Daniil Tarasov and most notably top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, there are plenty of recent examples with young Russian goalies willing to cross the ocean and stick it out without a guaranteed NHL job in place, or even knowing that a likely stint in the AHL is in their future.

Such a future is likely Murashov’s, whenever it may be. Heading to Pittsburgh in the summer shows the youngster has some level of desire and interest to eventually trying to carve out his place alongside countrymen like Sergei Bobrovsky, Igor Shesterkin, Andrei Vasilievskiy, and Ilya Sorokin as some of the best goalies in the world.

For their part, given Spezza’s comments, Pittsburgh would be thrilled to add Murashov as quickly as they possibly can to acclimate him into their organization and see what he might become. His Russian stats are impeccable, with even a .925 save% in the limited six game cameo he made this year. The PG indicated the Pens found out Murashov has grown two more inches off the 6’0” listing from his draft era. He moves across the crease very well.

Now the only question with Murashov is the same as its ever been. When?

No one truly knows in these instances until the deed is done. Pittsburgh already has their bases covered, with talented youngster Joel Blomqvist performing to an impressive degree last year in the AHL. That’s part of what makes the magic and mystique of Murashov all the more powerful — whatever he might be able to become or offer is found money to the Pens, and potentially to a game-changing degree if he might be the next in the Shesterkin-Sorokin type of lineage of franchise caliber Russian goalies. Those are some huge leg pads to try and fill, but the promise is off the charts.

Shesterkin didn’t come over until age 23, Sorokin 25. Murashov showing up now, if only for the summer at age 20, gives the Pens hope that they might be able to find out what he’s got on a relatively accelerated basis.