SERGEI MURASHOV | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

A Penguins’ season that initially had low expectations has been fast-forwarded to fascinating in the wake of one midweek series of transactions.

For the the Pens, the game unquestionably changed on Tuesday thanks to a single tweet:

“Forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Ryan Graves and goaltender Sergei Murashov have been recalled from @WBSPenguins. Defenseman Owen Pickering has been re-assigned to WBS [Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins]. Forwards Noel Acciari and Justin Brazeau as well as goaltender Tristan Jarry have been placed on Injured Reserve.”

They might as well have just posted “Murashov.”

The Goalie of the Future hasn’t just been identified — he’s arrived.

It remains to be seen how long he stays, and how often and how well he plays.

But simply by his presence, Murashov has accelerated the franchise’s reluctant rebuild exponentially.

This is a bigger deal than Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson embracing a brand of hockey that can best be described as responsible (who saw that coming?).

This is bigger than Evgeni Malkin turning back the clock (even as it continues to tick).

This is bigger than Sidney Crosby playing like he’s determined to help drag the Penguins back into postseason contention (and, perhaps, once and for all silence speculation that he might have to be traded before he ever makes it back to the playoffs).

This is bigger than Ben Kindel doing things only Crosby, Jaromir Jagr, Jordan Staal and Craig Simpson have done in a Penguins jersey as an 18-year-old.

Remember Marc-Andre Fleury?

He first arrived in October 2003. He stopped 46 of the first 48 NHL shots he saw, including a penalty shot, and had 16,986 fans at Mellon Arena on their feet and chanting his name throughout what became a 3-0 loss to the Kings.

Fleury’s first foray into the NHL lasted just 21 games, but he made it back eventually and when he did, magic happened.

Remember Matt Murray?

He had a 1.58 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage and 12 shutouts in 40 AHL games in 2014-15. The Pens knew then he’d take over their net sooner rather than later, and sooner turned out to be the following season. That ended with the first of consecutive Stanley Cup championships backstopped by Murray.

Now comes Murashov.

At 21 and as a former fourth-round selection in 2022, Murashov doesn’t have the pedigree of Fleury (a former first-overall draft pick who first played in the NHL at 18).

And Murashov’s AHL resume (17-5-0, 2.36, .918 in 23 career games) doesn’t compare to Murray’s (even if Murashov joins the Pens having just been named AHL Goaltender of the Month for October).

But Murashov is nonetheless the Pens’ presumptive next franchise presence in net.

You can see his story, potentially, unfolding in such a fashion someday.

You don’t have to squint to envision it.

And until you have that, you don’t really have serious traction toward getting back into the Cup-winning business.

The Pens are still a long way from that, but they’re taking a significant step in that direction.

And that makes Murashov’s ascension to the NHL a moment to embrace and to celebrate, even if his initial stay proves temporary.

Jarry and Arturs Silovs had been playing well for the most part throughout the Pens’ surprising start this season, but they were still destined to keep the crease warm for Murashov all along.

If Jarry’s absence, estimated to last a minimum of three weeks, forces the Pens’ hand ahead of the master plan, chalk it up as a blessing from the Hockey Gods.

Murashov is off and running.

And so, finally, are the Pens.

Mike Prisuta is the sports anchor/reporter for Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show. He’s also the host of the Steelers Radio Network Pregame Show and the color analyst for Robert Morris University men’s hockey broadcasts.