Categories: PenguinPoop

Penguins Sign Goalie Domingue

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2017, file photo, Arizona Coyotes goalie Louis Domingue (35) in the first period during an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes announced Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, that they have traded Domingue to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Tye McGinn and goalie Michael Leighton. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

Well, our Penguins signed a goalie of French-Canadian heritage today. Just not the one wearing the Fluery…oops…Fleury jersey.

General manager Ron Hextall inked 29-year-old journeyman Louis Domingue to a one-year, two-way deal for $750,000. The 6’3” 210-pounder’s basically this season’s Maxime Lagace. Ergo, a veteran to share the goaltending chores with kids Alex D’Orio and Filip Lindberg at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. And an insurance policy should the injury bug dine on black-and-gold incumbents Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith.

Although he’s appeared in only 17 regular-season NHL games over the past two seasons, Domingue has enjoyed some success at the big-league level. He posted okay stats at the outset of his career while sharing the netminding duties with Mike Smith in Arizona and a respectable .910 save percentage in 38 games with Tampa Bay spread over two seasons. In 2018-19, he registered a sparkling 21-5 record for the Presidents’ Trophy winning Lightning while serving as Andrei Vasilevskiy’s primary backup.

The past couple of seasons haven’t been as kind…a dreadful .882 save percentage while splitting time between the Devils, Canucks and Flames. Still, all-in-all, a solid low-risk signing.

Rick Buker