Penguins Begin New Chapter in Goal

The Pittsburgh Penguins are beginning a new chapter in goal as the 2025-2026 season begins.

Mar 15, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs (31) handles the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins are beginning a new chapter in goal. The organization opens the 2025-2026 season with a new head coach and starting net minder as they take on the New York Rangers and their former head coach, Mike Sullivan.

The Penguins gave the nod in goal to Arturs Silovs, head coach Dan Muse announced. This will be first regular season opener Silovs will start for a franchise and his first official start with the Pens. The team recently acquired Silovs during the offseason in a move with the Vancouver Canucks.

Head coach Dan Muse confirms that Arturs Silovs will be starting in goal tonight in New York.

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 7, 2025

Great Expectations and Great Opportunity 

The Penguins have struggled at the goaltender position since their last Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. Then, Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray were on top of their games as they backstopped the team to back-to-back championships. In the almost 10 years since, it’s been a series of attempted replacements. Some held the title for a bit, but the player the team banked on being the long-term starter, Tristan Jarry, has not panned out.

Apr 13, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) returns to his net against the Boston Bruins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Now, the organization is eager to find its next starting goaltender and get out of the contractual albatross is Jarry’s current deal. But the addition of Silovs is not just a snap decision. The 24-year-old had slowly made his way up the positional ranks with his former team over the past few seasons. 

Last year was a stepping stone year for the rising goaltender, and it put the Canucks in a tough situation. After Silovs was the team’s MVP in the AHL postseason en route to a Calder Cup victory, it was clear that they could no longer keep him buried with their AHL affiliate. The Penguins came calling over the summer, and a mid-round draft pick and prospect was enough to pry Silovs out of Vancouver.

With the Penguins, Silovs has the opportunity to blossom or fail. The team has low expectations coming into the year, with their core trio playing their record-setting 20th season together in the NHL. As impressive a feat as that is, it’s not very helpful in a Stanley Cup race.

But for Silovs, he can show that he can be the number one for an NHL organization. He’s shown it at every level along his development, and now he gets his shot at the highest one. The Penguins may not be contenders, but they are beginning a new chapter in goal, headlined by Arturs Silovs.

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