The Penguins let goaltender Taylor Gauthier walk in unrestricted free agency, neglecting to give him a qualifying offer or continue talks for an NHL contract. They had too many goaltenders signed, and he was at the bottom of the depth chart.
Gauthier, though, isn't going anywhere. He signed a one-year AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday.
Gauthier made clear that he didn't want to leave. He told me that much at the end of the season when I went to Wilkes-Barre, even knowing at the time that there were five goaltenders signed and ahead of him in the system. He knew that if he returned, there would be a chance he'd end up in Wheeling. He accepted that, noting to me how much he's averse to change in general. One member of the organization later told me that they believe it's important to Gauthier that he becomes the Nailers' all-time wins leader, a record he's 10 wins away from taking.
With the goaltending likely shaking out to be Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist in Pittsburgh and Sergei Murashov and Filip Larsson in Wilkes-Barre, Gauthier will likely see time in Wheeling again.
That's great for the Penguins -- he's way too good to be in the ECHL anymore. If the goaltending logjam ahead of him alleviates any further over the next year, it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn his way back into an NHL contract.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
3:10 pm - 07.02.2025DowntownGauthier back on AHL contract
The Penguins let goaltender Taylor Gauthier walk in unrestricted free agency, neglecting to give him a qualifying offer or continue talks for an NHL contract. They had too many goaltenders signed, and he was at the bottom of the depth chart.
Gauthier, though, isn't going anywhere. He signed a one-year AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday.
Gauthier made clear that he didn't want to leave. He told me that much at the end of the season when I went to Wilkes-Barre, even knowing at the time that there were five goaltenders signed and ahead of him in the system. He knew that if he returned, there would be a chance he'd end up in Wheeling. He accepted that, noting to me how much he's averse to change in general. One member of the organization later told me that they believe it's important to Gauthier that he becomes the Nailers' all-time wins leader, a record he's 10 wins away from taking.
With the goaltending likely shaking out to be Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist in Pittsburgh and Sergei Murashov and Filip Larsson in Wilkes-Barre, Gauthier will likely see time in Wheeling again.
That's great for the Penguins -- he's way too good to be in the ECHL anymore. If the goaltending logjam ahead of him alleviates any further over the next year, it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn his way back into an NHL contract.
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