WBS Signs Goaltender From Kazakhstan To One-Year AHL Contract
On Tuesday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - signed goaltender Maxim Pavlenko to a one-year AHL contract.
Pavlenko, 22, represented Kazakhstan at the IIHF World Championship and appeared in seven games, posting an .881 save percentage behind a defense that didn't offer him much support. He has been in Russia's VHL for the past two seasons with Ryazan HC and has earned a .919 save percentage and two shutouts in that span.
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The 6-foot-5, 181-pound netminder will join a goaltending prospect pool that is already pretty deep for Pittsburgh, as Joel Blomqvist, Sergei Murashov, and Filip Larsson - in addition to Taylor Gauthier if he re-signs as a restricted free agent - will already be jostling for positioning in WBS barring any major goaltending shakeup at the NHL level.
Will Joel Blomqvist Be On Penguins' Opening Night Roster?
Will Joel Blomqvist Be On Penguins' Opening Night Roster? Between injuries and inconsistency, the 2024-25 season was one of ups and downs for
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist.
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