The Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways with goaltender Tristan Jarry on Dec. 12, trading him along with Samuel Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. There had long been rumors that the Oilers were interested in Jarry, and the two sides finally worked out a deal both were happy with. In the trade, Penguins general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas continues to look toward the future, while also trying to stay competitive this season. Overall, the trade is a big win for the Penguins in a few ways.
Capitalizing on Jarry’s Strong Start
After signing a five-year contract extension in 2023, Jarry struggled to live up to said deal. The last two seasons were a roller coaster for the 30-year-old netminder, with last season seeing him being placed on waivers and spending time in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. This past offseason, Dubas acquired Arturs Silovs in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks, adding some competition to the number one spot heading into this season. This raised more questions about how the position and the competition would play out.
While he was not perfect in the 14 games he played this season for the Penguins, Jarry looked much better than he had in the past two seasons, posting a 9-3-1 record, a 2.66 goals-against average (GAA), and a .909 save percentage (SV%). Overall, his solid start to the season helped his trade value if the occasion ever arose, and it did with the Oilers. Being able to add a goaltender in Skinner, who has had a rough overall start to the season, but has played better as of late, a defenseman in Kulak, who can log third-pair minutes, and a second-round pick on top of it for a goaltender in Jarry, who, less than a year ago could not find his game, is a win for the Dubas and the Penguins.
Bringing in Expiring Contracts
While Jarry is in the third year of the five-year contract he signed, the two players Dubas acquired in the trade have contracts set to expire at the end of the season. Not only does this open up cap space for next season and beyond, but it also gives the organization two players who, if the Penguins fall out of the playoff race, could be rental pieces of interest to contenders come the trade deadline.
Dubas has made it known with his moves since taking over as the lead man for the Penguins that he wants to build for the future while still wanting to be competitive in the present. With the trade of Jarry to the Oilers, the assets and players acquired help both of those stay in view.
Opening Up Future Opportunities
Without having to retain any salary in the trade and getting rid of Jarry’s $5.375 million cap hit, the Penguins are now projected to have just over $9 million in space for the rest of this season. With the team currently entrenched in the playoff race, this extra cap space could help the team make a move at the trade deadline if Dubas feels it makes sense. It also gives them over $50 million in cap space heading into the offseason. While the free agent class currently does not project to have many high-dollar players, it still gives the Penguins added flexibility to make moves on both the free agent and trade fronts.
Related: NHL Rumors: Hughes Headlines Busy Trade Board, & Behind the Jarry Trade
While financial flexibility is always something that organizations want, the trade also brings the opportunity for even more youth to make an impact on the NHL roster. While it may not come this season, with Skinner likely to split goaltending duties with Silovs, Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist should both push for a full-time spot on the NHL roster as soon as next season. Both have made their NHL debuts in the past two seasons and have been strong for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Murashov has been the stronger of the two and should have the inside track to at least earn a backup spot next season.
Either way, the departure of Jarry and likely Skinner at the end of this season gives two of the Penguins’ best prospects a chance to become impactful at the NHL level.
Trade is An All-Around Win For the Penguins
While seeing a player who has spent his entire career with the Penguins is hard to see go (for some), being able to make a move that sets up the team to have a shot at a playoff spot and looking to the future can easily be viewed as another move that Dubas has made that is a win for the organization. Time will only tell what comes out of the move and how he can take advantage of the mix of cap space and draft picks he has at his disposal. With a solid, up-and-coming prospect pipeline, a youthful roster, and draft picks, the future does seem to look good for the Penguins.
