After trading away goaltender Matt Murray to acquire a prospect and a second round draft pick from Ottawa, the Penguins have drafted…a goalie.
With the 52nd overall pick, the Penguins took goaltender Joel Blomqvist from Karpat’s Junior team in the Finnish league.
The Penguins say in a Red line scouting report on Blomqvist: "Has a long, lean, flexible netminder's build. One of the most athletically gifted netminders in this class. Very good movement both in a controlled manner in all four directions, and is fast from down-to-up. Shows excellent reflexes."
The 18-year-old Blomqvist catches left and stands 6’1”, weighing 183lbs.
According to Elite Prospects, “Blomqvist plays a quiet, composed game that looks smart and confident. He recovers from his rebounds well, doesn't overshoot his destinations often, and seems to have a solid grasp on how to read and anticipate plays. His tracking looks smooth like he's following along with the play rather than trying to catch up to it.”
Blomqvist posted a .931 save percentage in the Finnish under 20 league last season over 34 games and have also played in the Junior Club World Championship.
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