CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Since he was 12 years old, Sergei Murashov has carried a tiny figurine -- just big enough to sit on his fingertip -- of the snowman character Olaf from the Frozen movie series everywhere he goes.
He got it in a Kinder Surprise Egg -- the chocolate eggs that come with tiny toys inside for kids.
"I thought, OK, he will be with me," Murashov told me at Penguins development camp in Cranberry, Pa. on Monday. "And everywhere I was, he was with me, I never lost him. I thought, he would be my small soul, maybe."
Murashov commemorates his travels with his Russian club, the Russian national team or other excursions by taking pictures of Olaf in front of some landmark or otherwise scenic location. This week, on his first-ever trip to the U.S., he's excited to show Olaf around Pittsburgh ... and he's hoping he and Olaf are here in the U.S. full-time in the not-so-distant future.
Murashov, 20, was the Penguins' fourth-round pick in 2022, and has looked like an absolute steal of a draft pick ever since. In his first season after being drafted, the 6-foot-2, 172-pound netminder won the award for the top goaltender in the MHL, the Russian junior league. He appeared in 42 games, posting a 1.65 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. He recorded 11 shutouts, two shy of an MHL record. His KHL club Lokomotiv has two affiliates in the MHL -- Loko (the stronger of the two) and Loko-76. Murashov went 24-7-5 with a 1.53 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage for Loko, with all 11 of his shutouts came with Loko. Murashov played five games for Loko-76, posting a 2-2-1 record, a 2.04 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. The Lokomotiv recalled Murashov straight to the KHL for one game, where he made 18 saves on 19 shots in a win.
Murashov was again dominant this season in the junior league, recording a 2.02 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in 34 games. But he also got a longer look in the KHL this year and fared well in his six games, recording a 1.84 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
"Oh, it was great," Murashov said of that experience playing in the top Russian league. "It's a high level, and I really like to play it. It's a great challenge for me. I enjoyed every game and had really good games, I loved it. The experience showed me where I could be better and where I have really good things."
He's got a lot of "good things" about his game, but Murashov pointed to his ability to read plays and character as some of his best attributes. He likes watching a lot of NHL goalies -- he named his countrymen Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin on Monday, and previously named Juuse Saros, Adin Hill, Jake Oettinger and another countryman in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Today he also said he watches a lot of Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic, saying he "sees a lot of things they're doing that the coaches here are saying."
For someone who has never been to the U.S. before, Murashov seems remarkably comfortable and has surprisingly good English. He said he learned English in school in Russia, and couldn't imagine what this trip would have been like had he not had that in his back pocket. He said he's enjoying the "friendly people" in the U.S., as well as the opportunity to work with Penguins goaltending coach Andy Chiodo, calling their on-ice and video work both "amazing."
He might just stay, too.
Murashov is here at camp because he's without a contract in Russia -- his KHL contract with Lokomotiv expired this season. Neither he nor the Penguins know yet what the plan will be for him next season.
"I need to make a decision where I'm going, because I have different ways for my next season," Murashov explained. "Development camp for me is also to watch how it works in the USA, how Pittsburgh looks like, and so on."
Those "different ways" for next season, he explained, could be coming to North America, returning to Lokomotiv or signing with a different KHL club.
"I think how it would be better for my future," Murashov explained of the decision ahead of him.
He doesn't have too long to think -- KHL training camps begin mid-July, if that is where he's going to end back up. He said he anticipates making that decision over the coming days or weeks.
It might be best for Murashov to go back to Russia for another year and try to put together a good full, KHL season first. There's a logjam in net already in the minors with Joel Blomqvist coming off a successful rookie season, Filip Larsson recently signed after a strong season in Sweden, and ECHL goaltender of the year Taylor Gauthier all vying for big AHL minutes. Even if that logjam was lessened and his only competition was Blomqvist, both are worthy and capable of a starting role, not a 1A/1B type of tandem.
Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza said that they'd like to have Murashov over next season "if it works out." But if not, that's OK too, and they'll focus on making sure he has the best possible development path in Russia.
"We're happy to have him here," Spezza said. "You know, it's important to get him in-person, for him to be around Pittsburgh, to be with our goalie coaches, just kind of see how things are here. Whether it's this year or in future years, it just creates that familiarity for him. It's great that he was able to make it."
Murashov is only 20. He's so young. He and Blomqvist are the goaltenders of the future, both have high ceilings. It'll be great when both are in North America and pushing for NHL time. If that happens next year, it'll certainly make things interesting in net throughout the system. But whether it's this year or next, Murashov's not far off from coming over. And he's a big reason why goaltending is without a doubt the strongest area of the prospect pool.
