The 25-year-old blueliner, who is listed at 6-3 and 209 pounds, joined the team in time for their optional morning skate on Wednesday before playing Calgary, who originally drafted Solovyov in 2020.
“Big guy, strong defensive game,” Pittsburgh Head Coach Dan Muse said. “From what we’ve seen, does a good job there in terms of just getting back, finding that first pass, gaps, hard to play against. And he's also got the ability, like you want all defensemen to at times, to be able to get up there and to keep plays extended there offensively.”
Solovyov made his professional debut in North America during the 2021-22 season, playing in the American Hockey League. The next year, Solovyov made his NHL debut with the Flames, playing 10 total games. He appeared in five NHL games last season, which was spent primarily with the Calgary Wranglers.
This season, Solovyov has appeared in 16 NHL games with Colorado. He played a lot through the start of November, but then saw extended periods out of the lineup, and had a conditioning stint in the AHL. Solovyov then re-entered Colorado’s lineup this month and had played in six straight games, scoring his first NHL goal on Jan. 10 versus Columbus.
“It just (happened) because I (had) done a ton of a work in Denver, honestly, when I was not playing,” Solovyov said. “So, it was almost a month and a half. I try to keep this momentum, and try to focus on that. And I think if I will still stay positive and focusing on it, I think it will continue to go into the net.”
Kyle Dubas told Josh Getzoff in the latest edition of the GM Show that the Penguins had taken an in-depth look at Solovyov before Colorado picked up the defenseman, and then continued to keep an eye on him. With Caleb Jones getting injured again during his rehab assignment in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Dubas said it felt important to try and fill the gap.
“It's a 25-year-old that all of our departments on the personnel side, research and development side, all are fans of and believe that he's got good potential,” Dubas said. “So, it just continues in the trend of trying to add younger talent to the organization any chance that comes up.”
In addition to the qualities Muse mentioned, Solovyov said his shot is one of his biggest assets. He wants to work on his footspeed more, as he feels that could help him earn more regular playing time. So can having the right work ethic and mindset.
“How you're working and how you’re confident in yourself, honestly, that’s probably the most important thing,” Solovyov said. “Like, I'm working a lot, and that's how I probably earn it. I hope it will continue to build up, and I can be the full-time NHL player.”
