Penguins Sign Goaltender To Entry-Level Contract

The Pittsburgh Penguins are pretty well-known at this point for the goaltending depth they possess in their system. Netminders like Sergei Murashov, Joel Blomqvist, and 2025 draftee Gabriel D’Aigle have received a fair amount of attention.

But there is another name that has flown under the radar for the past several seasons, and he was rewarded by the organization on Friday.

The Penguins announced that they signed Taylor Gauthier to a one-year entry-level contract for $775,000 at the NHL level. The deal runs through the end of the 2025-26 season, giving the Penguins one more potential option at goaltender on the NHL roster for the remainder of the 2025-26 season as well as the playoffs.

Gauthier, 25, is having another outstanding campaign with the Wheeling Nailers – Pittsburgh’s ECHL affiliate – boasting a 12-6-5 record to go along with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. This is his third-consecutive season having a save percentage of at least .923 at the ECHL level.

He had one appearance at the AHL level last season, which was a 32-save shutout on Apr. 19, 2025. He has made five total appearances in the AHL dating back to 2023-24.

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The signing of Gauthier through the end of the 2025-26 season gives the Penguins some much-needed insurance at the goaltending position for a potential playoff run, as any goaltender used down the stretch and into the NHL playoffs must be signed to an NHL contract. Most teams carry three goaltenders in the NHL playoffs.

This will also be key because the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins are likely to clinch an AHL playoff spot, and they will need two goaltenders for their playoff run as well. Murashov and Blomqvist have been the AHL tandem for most of the season.