What a difference a year can make. According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Pittsburgh Penguins’ netminder Tristan Jarry is drawing trade interest from around the league. Unsurprisingly, Weekes lists the Edmonton Oilers as the primary suitor.
Last season, few would have believed that Jarry would become anything other than a likely salary dump. In the second year of his five-year, $26.88MM contract, Jarry managed a 16-12-6 record in 36 games with a .892 SV% and 3.12 GAA. Additionally, according to MoneyPuck, Jarry was ranked 35th (among goalies that played in 30 or more games) in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAE) with a -4.7 mark.
Due to a combination of conditioning loans and waiver placements, all signs indicated that Pittsburgh’s relationship with Jarry was coming to an end. However, due to his poor performance, Jarry had little to no value on the trade market.
However, much like the Penguins as a whole, the 10-year veteran goaltender has appeared to turn a corner, albeit in a small sample size. Before missing the team’s last seven games due to an injury, Jarry had earned a 5-2-0 record in seven starts with a .911 SV% and 2.60 GAA. In terms of his GSAE, he has already overcome last year’s performance, producing a 4.8 according to MoneyPuck.
Unfortunately, as much as the Oilers may be interested in adding Jarry, there may be too many obstacles to overcome. For starters, Jarry’s $5.375MM cap hit is $1.775MM more than Edmonton is paying Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard combined. The Oilers will assuredly need to match salary, given that they’re currently $159K under the upper limit of the salary cap.
The one obstacle that could be easily overcome is Jarry’s 12-team no-trade clause. Although they haven’t gotten off to a positive start to the 2025-26 campaign, Edmonton has won back-to-back Western Conference Finals and is objectively far closer to contention than the Penguins. Additionally, although he’s a native of British Columbia, Jarry spent his Major Junior days with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
Regardless, given how he has performed up to this point of the season, it would be foolish for Pittsburgh to isolate Jarry’s market to just the Oilers. Teams such as the Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, and Carolina Hurricanes could all enhance their goaltending depth and have a far better financial outlook than the Oilers.
Oh if dubas fleeces Edmonton that would be so funny. Watch skinner for Jarry and Jarry goes on to play like last season would look so good on the nepobaby gm
Skinner better bring Howard back with him. Or Savoie if Edmonton is insistent on sending Nurse too.
To be fair Dubas doesn’t know how to build a d core so he’d probably give Jarry and a 1st for Nurse and Pickard (plus whatever it takes to make the penguins be able to absorb the 4 million extra)
That’s the first thing I thought of lol. Oilers trade for him and he immediately turns back into a pumpkin. That would be the funniest thing.
Nurse is untradable. He would need Savoie or like 3 1sts
This is just an awful take. Dubas is far from perfect, but he’s not giving up a 1st for Nurse.
I think it is either sarcastic or nihilistic
Whhoooooowooo…Really?
GSAE?
Goals Saved Above Expected. It’s referenced toward the end of the second paragraph. MoneyPuck uses that one, and HockeyReference uses Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA).
Right… it’s GSAx.
Im sure Vancouver is sniffing around
Boosch for Jarry, Karlsson at $5M, and the Blue’s 2nd
It’s too early in the season to bet on a goalie as inconsistent as Jarry, unless you can get him for peanuts now. To give up anything significant for him, I’d wait until at least mid-season to see if his numbers hold up.
And even at 50% retention, that’d be a crap shoot for a goalie as inconsistent as Jarry is.
Beyond that, at what point will sugar plums be dancing in the minds of Pittsburgh management, think they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, and ride their hot hands, especially if Brazeau and Rakell continue their form when they come back? (Besides which, what would they get a better return for and have an easier time dealing … Jarry or Silovs?)
The Penguins can take their time shopping players on the roster. They play 16 games this weekend thru December. Currently they sit 8th in the wild card and have lost some points in the standings the last few weeks. They have a few players on IR who will be back shortly and have a glutton of cap space. Lots of time left for teams to move up/down in the standings and injuries play a major factor for teams before the trade deadline. The Pens are in a good spot if they want to trade Jarry, Silovs, Karlsson, Rakell, Rust, etc.