The Penguins have placed goaltender Filip Larsson on waivers for contract termination. Once he clears, his contract will be terminated on Wednesday.
Larsson, 27, was signed out of the Swedish league to a two-year contract in April 2024, and spent the 2024-25 season sharing the net with Joel Blomqvist in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. With Sergei Murashov being elevated to the AHL this season, Larsson has spent much of the year as Wilkes-Barre’s third goaltender. He’s only appeared in nine games this season, and two of those were relief appearances. He hasn’t played since Jan. 3, and he hasn’t started a game since Dec. 14.
To terminate a contract like this, it requires both the team and player to agree to it. More often than not, it’s done when a European player isn’t getting opportunities in North America and plans on returning home. Larsson’s contract termination will bring the Penguins down to 46 of their allotted 50 contracts, giving them some more flexibility this trade deadline.
Wilkes-Barre still has Murashov and Blomqvist as its tandem moving forward, but there’s still good AHL-contracted depth in Wheeling if a recall is needed. Maxim Pavlenko has appeared in four AHL games this season, recording a .912 save percentage, a 2.16 goals-against average and one shutout. He’s played in 19 games with Wheeling, recording an .895 save percentage, a 2.90 goals-against average and three shutouts. Taylor Gauthier was sidelined until December with an injury but has since supplanted Pavlenko as the Nailers’ starter and apparent “next man up,” recording a .933 save percentage, 1.81 goals-against average and one shutout in 13 games.