Because of the way the Marc-Andre Fleury era quickly became the Matt Murray era, the Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t gone into a draft explicitly looking for a No. 1 goaltender in 15 years.

Instead, their goaltending development plan has been to look for talent in a variety of places in an effort to be prepared for whatever curveballs eventually come their way.

Sunday’s signing of 22-year-old Finnish goalie Emil Larmi fits right into that philosophy.

When Fleury was drafted first overall in 2003, the Penguins expected he’d be their starting goalie for the next decade or two. They were right.

When they took Murray in the third round of the 2012 draft, they were looking to add organizational depth at the position and perhaps find a homegrown backup. Fleury was only 27. The Vegas Golden Knights weren’t even a twinkle in Bill Foley’s eye. There was no immediate need to find a successor.

The combination of Murray’s unprecedented AHL success and the Vegas expansion draft forced the Penguins to transition to a new No. 1 goalie quicker than they otherwise might have. The end result, though, is that the top spot on the goalie depth chart has been filled out in pen for more than a decade.

For most of those 15 years, the Penguins have signed a veteran backup – Jocelyn Thibault, Ty Conklin, Brent Johnson, Tomas Vokoun, Thomas Greiss, etc. – and filled in underneath with upside.

The team’s track record drafting goalies has been spotty. Murray was a home run in the third round, but Sean Maguire, Alexander Pechurskiy and Patrick Killeen didn’t hit.

They’ve drafted a goalie in the second round twice in the last seven years, taking Tristan Jarry in 2013 and Filip Gustavsson in 2016.

Jarry’s development has been perfectly acceptable in four pro seasons. If the Penguins needed to make him Murray’s backup in the fall, they could. They don’t need to because Casey DeSmith essentially beat him out, and as a result, Jarry will probably be traded over the summer.

Gustavsson, meanwhile, was sent to Ottawa in the Derick Brassard deal. He went 12-18-1 with an .887 save percentage for Belleville in the AHL this season.

The team’s track record signing undrafted free agent goalies has been a little better.

Eric Hartzell, signed to some fanfare after he led Quinnipiac to an NCAA title game in 2013, busted out, but John Curry and Brad Thiessen capably held down the No. 3 spot on the organizational depth chart for years.

DeSmith, a largely unknown prospect when he joined the Penguins’ minor league system in 2015, has been a great success. He was outstanding in the first half of this season while Murray struggled with injury and inconsistency, earning a three-year contract extension.

That’s where Larmi comes into the picture.

With Jarry likely on his way out of town, the Penguins needed to find a goalie who can slot in third on the organizational depth chart, filling in as an NHL backup in case of injury.

They could have scoured the free agent pool to find a Jeff Zatkoff-style veteran to fill that role – and they still might – but Larmi’s track record suggests he could be capable of handling the assignment.

He’s only 22, but he’s been a full-time starter in Finland’s top pro league for three seasons. He had a phenomenal postseason this year, leading HPK to a league championship.

The scouting report on the 6-foot Larmi says he relies on instincts and athleticism more than the average netminder these days.

If he comes to North America and shows consistency and stability in addition to highlight-reel ability, he could give the Penguins a contingency plan now and some options down the line. If not, in keeping with the organizational philosophy on young goaltender acquisition, it’ll be on to the next one.

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