The Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers completed a trade Friday that involved a goaltender swap - and they will face off against each other in their new uniforms Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
Matchups between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers are always exciting to begin with when the best of the last generation in Sidney Crosby and the best of the newer generation in Connor McDavid face off.
But there is another storyline that is surely taking precedence Tuesday when the teams square off at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
On Friday, the Penguins and Oilers completed a trade to that involved goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin going to Edmonton in exchange for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. Jarry made his first start as an Oiler Saturday, which was a 25-save effort in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But, for Skinner - who, along with Kulak, had immigration setbacks that prevented them from arriving sooner - Tuesday will mark not only his first start against his former team, but also his first start as a member of the Penguins. And it is set to happen against Jarry, who is returning to Pittsburgh for the first time just four days after the trade.
"Yeah, it's funny, we're ripping off the Band-Aid right away," Skinner said. "Which is good. Thinking about it, I think I'd rather it be like this and just kind of get it over with. But also, to enjoy it, too. I get to play my old teammates, and me and Brett get to do it together. And I think that's nothing but exciting."
After a bit of a rough start to the season, Skinner had been gaining some traction in recent games. In his last five starts, the 27-year-old is 3-1-1 with a .937 save percentage and eight goals against. On the season, he is 11-8-4 with a 2.83 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage, which are both below his career numbers of 2.74 and .904, respectively.
'It Just Made Sense For Us To Do It At This Time': Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Gives Insight On Jarry Trade
It's safe to say that <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/breaking-penguins-deal-tristan-jarry-to-edmonton-oilers">the trade sending Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday</a> - which returned goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick - surprised a whole lot of people, fans and players alike.
Overall, Skinner is happy with how his season has unfolded so far, and he's excited for his new opportunity.
"I think it's been good. Obviously, ups and downs. Life of a goalie," Skinner said. "But I think, for the most part, I've been finding my game and finding that consistency, and I've just got to keep on doing that. It's been a few days since my last game, so just getting into that process is going to be important for me."
As for Jarry, 30, returning to the place he called home for 10-plus seasons is going to bring on some emotion. He was on a nice run this season before getting dealt, as he had a 9-3-1 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage with Pittsburgh. And this came after the worst season of his NHL career in 2024-25, when he was waived, had two AHL stints, and posted career-lows in goals-against average (3.12) and save percentage (.893) over a full NHL season.
Why Oilers Fans Can Appreciate Tristan Jarry
Tristan Jarry is a fine NHL goaltender, having a good year. He went 9-3-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage through 14 games with the Panguins. Those numbers matter, and they're a big reason why the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> traded for him.
Like Skinner said about his time in Edmonton, Jarry hopes Pittsburgh knows that he did everything he could to help the team win in his time there - and he looks forward to the opportunity to face the Penguins for the first time.
“I put my heart and soul into this team. I hope they understand that," Jarry told Wes Crosby of NHL.com Monday. "You never want to go into a game thinking you’re going to lose. You want to win every single game that you set foot on the ice. That’s all I wanted to do was win in Pittsburgh, and I hope I was perceived that way.”
And he anticipates everything being a bit strange at first.
“It will be very weird,” Jarry said. “It’s going to be a whole new setting."
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