The Pittsburgh Penguins may have a new starting goaltender next season.
The NHL offseason is on the verge of picking up steam, and Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas seems ready for a busy few months.
The Penguins are searching for answers following back-to-back playoff absences, and very few on the roster are safe from trade speculation this summer. Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry is no exception.
Jarry has begun to form a pattern with his performance. At his best, he is a top 15, possibly top ten, goaltender in the NHL. Unfortunately, Jarry has only been at his best early in the season, typically falling apart for one reason or another after the All-Star break.
Injuries played a pivotal role in two of Jarry's last three seasons. Dubas and the Penguins looked past those injury issues, signing Jarry to a five-year contract last summer. While Jarry remained healthy throughout this season, he lost the starting role to Alex Nedeljkovic down the stretch following a 2-7-1 stretch in early March.
While the Penguins are not actively shopping Jarry, Rob Rossi of the Athletic says he may be available for trade.
"Goaltender Tristan Jarry is not necessarily being shopped by Dubas, but there is a sense among other teams that Jarry is available. While that doesn’t mean Dubas or Sullivan has abandoned the idea that Jarry can become a No. 1 goalie, Jarry’s inability to wrestle the crease from Alex Nedeljkovic late this past season did not win him many points with top brass, two team sources said".
With several options on the free agent and trade markets, as well as the potential emergence of Joel Blomqvist, the Penguins may look to free themselves from their long-term commitment to Jarry this summer.
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