Penguins Have Major Question Mark at Goalie

The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to have more questions than answers at their most important position.

Sep 21, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist (30) looks to make a save during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Goaltending was always going to "make or break" the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. It was and has been, one of the biggest questions surrounding this team since the 2017 expansion draft. Because of that, no one expected answers in the first week of the season, but very few expected there to be more questions.

Tristan Jarry was bombarded in the Penguins opener, allowing six goals. While the defense in front of him was poor, Jarry left much to be desired on numerous goals.

Unsurprisingly, Joel Blomqvist made his NHL debut the following night in the second half of the team's back-to-back and performed well. He stopping 29 of the 32 shots he faced en route to a 6-3 victory. Mike Sullivan's decision to start Blomqvist again in Toronto raised eyebrows across the league.

Sullivan could have been simply riding the hot hand in Blomqvist or allowing the youngster to get more NHL experience. However, Jarry's recent history, losing the starter net late last season, has many wondering about the level of faith the Penguins have in their highest-paid netminder.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman weighed in on the Penguins goaltending situation this week.

"I think the Penguins, at times, have considered their options here," Friedman said. "They've talked to other teams about him (Jarry). Obviously, nothing has happened, but it has occurred."

Jarry responded well in his second start of the year, stopping 24 of 27 shots in the Penguins 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. He was late getting into position on Kaiden Guhle's first-period goal and was beaten glove-side by Emil Heineman on a 2-on-1, both goals he would probably like to have back. However, he settled in and stopped the final 11 shots he faced.

Four games in, several questions remain for the Penguins. Will Jarry be traded at some point this season? What will Alex Nedeljkovic look like when he returns from his lower-body injury? And now, is Blomqvist ready for more at the NHL level, and how do you get him more opportunities with two other netminders vying for playing time?

We are one week into the 2024-25 season, and the Penguins continue to produce more questions than answers for their most pivotal position.

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