Will new Edmonton Oilers goalie Tristan Jarry be the final piece of a Stanley Cup championship puzzle, or will he be a flop with term left on his contract?
After months of speculation about their goaltending situation, the Edmonton Oilers pulled off a stunning trade Friday.
They sent No. 1 goalie Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for veteran netminder Tristan Jarry.
The full trade – shipping Jarry and right winger Samuel Poulin to the Oilers in exchange for Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round draft pick in 2029 – is a massive gamble on the part of Edmonton GM Stan Bowman.
While there's a chance Jarry is the final piece of a championship puzzle in a way that Skinner couldn't be, there's also a chance this deal blows up in the Oilers' face.
The 30-year-old Jarry is not just a gamble for this season. He's signed for an additional two years, and the Penguins aren't retaining a single penny of Jarry's $5.35-million annual salary.
"I just felt it was time for something different," Bowman told reporters Friday. "It's not so much a comment on Stuart Skinner; it's just maybe time for something different here. We felt confident in the fact that (Jarry's) got two more years on his contract, so we have our goalie for the next three playoff runs, which I think is important.
"Knowing that he's signed, it's a number that we're going to be able to manage well in our salary cap over the coming seasons, so I think those factors did play a role."
In some regards, you can see why Bowman caved in and took on Jarry's contract.
After struggles in recent years – that included Jarry being waived last season, with no takers – Jarry has been enjoying a bounce-back season this year. He's put up a 9-3-1 record, a .909 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average in 14 appearances.
That's a massive improvement on his 2024-25 numbers of an .893 SP and a 3.12 GAA. But the pressure will be on Jarry immediately as he joins Edmonton's lineup and adjusts to their style of play. They don't allow many shots against, but they are prone to allowing high-danger chances occasionally.
"The biggest thing is if you look at Tristan's track record, he's been a very strong performer for a number of years," Bowman said. "Just last season was the only time when he had a stretch where it wasn't at the same level, so we wanted to see how he started the season off, and I think he's been doing really well there in Pittsburgh."
Fans React To Oilers And Penguins' Bold Goalie Trade: 'Great Move By Dubas'
The Edmonton Oilers traded Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin. Fans were quick to point out similarities between Skinner and Jarry.
Meanwhile, Skinner – a scapegoat who took the Oilers to two consecutive Stanley Cup final appearances – gets a fresh start in Pittsburgh.
Skinner had an 11-8-4 record, .891 SP, 2.83 GAA and two shutouts in 23 games this year. The 27-year-old's numbers have worsened over the past two seasons, but that's not entirely his fault. Edmonton's defense in front of their goalies has been porous.
Skinner had the added pressure of being in a contract year. But his salary of $2.6 million makes him an affordable option if Dubas chooses to flip him to another team by or before the March 6 trade deadline.
One way or another, if Jarry doesn't pan out as hoped, the Oilers are on the hook for his entire contract.
If there's a worst-case scenario and Jarry completely falls apart, Edmonton could buy out the remainder of his deal. But that's a long way away, and one of the last things the capped-out Oilers need in the next three years that Connor McDavid is signed for is using cap space on a bought-out contract.
Right now, Edmonton is putting its future in the hands of a player who's got only eight games of NHL post-season experience – and in that time, Jarry has gone 2-6 and posted an .891 SP and a 3.00 GAA. So there's plenty of room for doubt about Jarry's ability to take this team further than Skinner could.
Still, the state of the goalie trade market was a seller's market, which is why Dubas was able to get away without retaining any of Jarry's contract. Every other team either is currently satisfied with their netminding, or they were in the same boat as Edmonton – trying to upgrade in net when no elite netminders were available. Thus, Dubas could name his price, and he converted Jarry and AHL right winger Poulin into Skinner, a solid draft pick and an experienced blueliner in Kulak, who could also be flipped to a team seeking defensive help.
Skinner wasn't the sole culprit for Edmonton's losses in the Cup final, but he also couldn't carry them over the finish line. That pressure now switches instantly to Jarry, who will experience playing in a Canadian NHL market for the first time. The way he acclimates to the Oilers' dressing room could ultimately lead to either a championship or to more heartache for Edmonton fans.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.