What's next for the Pittsburgh Penguins after being eliminated from playoff contention? The futures of goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic will be a key focus.
Eliminated from post-season contention, the Pittsburgh Penguins will finish this season with a potential goaltending controversy.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan benched struggling starting goalie Tristan Jarry for all but one game since March 24. He stuck with backup Alex Nedeljkovic over the club's remaining games.
The move raises questions about Jarry's future as the Penguins' starter. He signed a five-year contract last summer with an average annual value of $5.375 million. However, the 28-year-old's performance this season made him the subject of trade rumors leading up to the March 8 trade deadline.
While running back the Jarry and Nedeljkovic tandem next season is possible, The Hockey News' Nick Horwat pointed out last week that promising prospect Joel Blomqvist should be expected to play in the NHL next season.
Rob Rossi of The Athletic believes addressing the goaltending should be a priority for Penguins GM Kyle Dubas. He felt Jarry wasn't playing up to the level expected of someone with his contract, pointing out his leaky goals cost the Penguins too many games this season.
Rossi suggests Dubas consider moving Jarry even if it means making a bad trade to get him off the books. That would clear the path for Blomqvist to get his shot in the NHL.
Jarry's contract will be difficult to trade even with the salary cap likely rising to $87.5 million for next season. It would require finding a club willing to bet that his shaky play is attributable to the Penguins' defense.
A trade to a club with a better blueline corps might help Jarry gain consistency and stability between the pipes. Nevertheless, the Penguins could be forced to retain up to half of his annual cap hit or package one of the few promising youngsters from their prospect pipeline as a sweetener.
Jarry's 12-team no-trade clause could also complicate things. Maybe he'll widen his list to gain a fresh start elsewhere.
If the Penguins intend to peddle Jarry and bring up Blomqvist, they must ensure they re-sign Nedeljkovic. The 28-year-old is slated to become a UFA on July 1 and will likely seek a raise on his $1.5-million cap hit.