Kyle Dubas and the Penguins Address Blomqvist's Recent Setbacks and Future
Penguins Goalie Joel Blomqvist is seen as the future in net for Pittsburgh, and now General Manager Kyle Dubas has addressed his recent struggles.
The Pittsburgh Penguins 2024/25 season hasn't gone the way anyone would have hoped, and perhaps their biggest issue of all thus far has been goaltending, with neither Tristan Jarry nor Alex Nedeljkovic stepping up to the plate.
That has led to the emergence of 23-year old Joel Blomqvist, who impressed many early in the year, but as of late he's struggled mightily, allowing three or more goals in nine of his past 11 starts, with a save percentage above .900 in just one of them.
Now, Kyle Dubas has addressed Blomqvist's struggles, stating that their expectations for him have always been kept in check, with the front office still believing in the talented young Finnish goaltender.
«The Penguins don't seem alarmed by Joel Blomqvist's recent issues. In general, they love his mindset and are convinced he'll mentally bounce back from his struggles. One thing to note: I don't know that the Penguins ever viewed him as «the future.» They like him. They think he'll be a reliable enough NHL goalie. But the team didn't mirror the fans' skyrocketing expectations after Blomqvist had a few strong games earlier this season. The Penguins like the kid. But they've always kept their expectations for him in check.»
Plenty of goaltenders take time to adjust to the NHL game, so there shouldn't be any stress that a 23-year old isn't a superstar upon arrival, and with good size and talent, the Penguins still see him as an intriguing piece moving forward.
With the way Pittsburgh's franchise is trending however, it's unclear when he'll get the reigns as the No. 1 starter, but with the belief behind him, the Penguins are going to give him every chance to win that role.
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