The 2025 version of our Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown list rolls on with a look at one of the newest and most intriguing acquisitions in goalie Arturs Silovs.
Catch up on the previous entries for this year:
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 203 pounds
Some will argue that the term ‘prospect’ can’t be used to describe a 24-year-old with 19 NHL regular-season games under his belt. However, with the parameters set forth by the rigorous testing we do here at PensBurgh to determine Top 25 Under 25 eligibility, the Latvian-born Arturs Silovs qualifies for this extensive list.
When the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks last month, an eyebrow or two were raised.
First and foremost, it appeared on paper that the Penguins acquired Alex Nedeljkovic’s replacement after they traded him to the San Jose Sharks on July 1.
However, at just 24 with somehwat impressive—if shaky—stats at the NHL level, many began and still are wondering if Silovs will prove to be more of a replacement for the now-presumed starter, Tristan Jarry, whose on-ice struggles were well documented last season.
Silovs, coming off a dominant playoff run with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks where he earned Calder Cup MVP honors, arrives in Pittsburgh with the arrow pointed up and perhaps untapped potential.
In 21 regular-season games with the Abbotsford Canucks last season, the goaltender went 14-5-2 with a .908 save percentage and 2.41 goals-against average. In the postseason, he compiled a 16-7 record with a 2.01 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.
His five shutouts in the playoffs were one shy of the AHL record in one playoff run, and he became just the fourth goaltender to be named the Playoff MVP, per a media release from the Penguins.
Silovs was thrust into the spotlight during the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs when injuries to Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith forced the then-23-year-old rookie into the net. He went on to earn a 4-3 win in Game 4, then made 28 saves to earn his first NHL shutout in a 1-0 series-clinching victory against the Nashville Predators in Game 6.
His playoff shutout to clinch the series for Vancouver made him the youngest in franchise history to do so.
His recent AHL statistics, combined with his penchant for raising his game, as seen in international play, including a notable performance for Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, understandably might have intrigued general manager Kyle Dubas, knowing Silvos might have been the odd man out given the Canucks’ goalie room.
“Arty is a young and extremely good goalie. He was just the MVP in the American League playoffs, outstanding. He’s played at the highest stage for Latvia and will be on their Olympic roster,” said Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin before the trade. “We’ll see over the next couple of weeks if we carry the goalies to camp or if a decision is made prior to it.”
He brings athleticism and maturity, and at 6-foot-4, Silovs can use his hefty frame to his advantage. Several scouts believe he has the ceiling of a reliable NHL starter.
“You can tell [Director of Goaltending Ian Clark] has been working with him,” said then-head coach Rick Tocchet in a 2024 interview. “He’s not sliding all over the place. He’s not flopping; he is there for the second shot. You can tell. That is when you know the goalie is listening and you’ve got a mature goalie – when he is there for the second shot and he’s not out of the net.”
That’s not to say there aren’t kinks to work out, though.
As he spent more time in the NHL last season, his numbers dipped, earning a 3.65 GAA and .861 save percentage in 10 appearances, compiling a 2-6-1 record.
He had lost his previous four outings before a March 16 victory against the Blackhawks, during which he allowed 15 goals in that four-game stretch.
Silovs addressed how he’s had to adapt to the NHL game in that same 2024 feature.
“Shots are more accurate, have more speed, and overall, everything is more demanding. I am finding that extra depth, which I probably would not achieve without adding pressure.”
“Your work ethic is important, but you have to understand what you’re working on because work ethic can’t really improve you if you aren’t led where to go,” Silvos said last year. The biggest thing is having a goal of what you are trying to achieve, and we call that an ideal goal or a picture of yourself.“
Since his acquisition, the Penguins’ brass has not outright said what the plans are for the goaltender, but with training camp a month away, we will soon get a clearer picture of how new head coach Dan Muse will deploy his netminders.
Pittsburgh now has a trio of promising young goalies in Silovs, Joel Blomqvist, and Sergei Murashov, and with the retool underway, if he plays his cards right, Silovs could find himself in a prominent position sooner than expected.
The tantalizing upside is there. Can Silovs put it all together with his new team?