When the Pittsburgh Penguins went embarked on their four-game Western road trip, they decided to bring along three goaltenders in an effort to win games and help their struggling starting goaltender, Tristan Jarry.
And, for now, it appears their lineup does not even have room for him.
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Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is starting consecutive games right off of an injured reserve stint that has kept him out since the onset of the season, and rookie Joel Blomqvist has been serving as his backup. This leaves Jarry – who owns a pedestrian 5.47 goals-against average (GAA) and a .836 save percentage (SV%) to start the season – out of the mix.
Head coach Mike Sullivan has said that Jarry’s scratch isn’t a “scratch.” Rather, it’s an extended opportunity for Jarry to work with the coaching and training staff that he wouldn’t otherwise get if he was slated for game action, all in hopes that he can have a chance to find his form again.
However, the “chance” he is being offered to find that form isn’t necessarily what it appears to be on the surface.
Related: Is There A Goaltending Controversy In Pittsburgh?
Goaltending isn’t just a Pittsburgh issue this season. There are many teams – and contending ones, on that note – that have daunting issues between the pipes. These teams are in need of fresh blood in the blue paint, and a two-time All-Star seeking a change of scenery may just be the answer.
Jarry’s only shot at getting a shot elsewhere is probably by putting together a good stretch of games in the near future for the Penguins. Waiving him would only destroy his trade value, which is something that Pittsburgh certainly doesn’t want, given Jarry’s remaining four seasons on a contract that pays him $5.375 million per year.
But if things get desperate enough – and Jarry does manage to put together a solid string of games more reflective of his career 2.72 GAA and .911 SV% – there are five teams that should seriously consider trading for the Penguins’ 29-year-old netminder.
Colorado Avalanche
THN – Pittsburgh’s Ryan Gagne wrote a piece on this last week, and it sums everything up pretty nicely. The Avalanche are in desperate need of goaltending. They are league-worst in the category. They’re off to a meager 2-4 start, and they are dead last in the league in goals-against per game (GA/G) at 4.83.
Like the Penguins, their defense is doing them no favors right now. They also have a lot of injuries, so making the cap work without retention and the Penguins bringing salary back would be nearly impossible, and the Penguins have only one retention slot remaining.
But, simply put: This is a perennial contender that needs to get it together sooner rather than later, and having Alexander Georgiev as your primary starting goaltender with a mostly unproven Justus Annunen as your other guy isn’t doing yourself any favors. Jarry is a proven NHL starter – albeit an inconsistent one – and if they can offload Georgiev in exchange, this trade doesn’t look so bad and could end up working out for them.
And in return? The Penguins get a goaltender who comes cheaper and who is a pending UFA. They’d likely have to take on additional salary as well, but a smaller contract should mostly be a non-issue.
Utah Hockey Club
Yes, Utah has the Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka tandem.
But, yes, Utah has the Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka tandem.
This combination is hardly a terrible one, but if Utah is serious about contention this season, they are going to need to get better goaltending down the stretch. If they were to consider trading for Jarry, this wouldn’t be an immediate thing, and they’d likely want to wait things out to see if Jarry can get hot.
Both Ingram and Vejmelka have uninspiring career numbers – Ingram has a 3.11 GAA and .905 SV%, while Vejmelka has 3.49 GAA and .899 SV% – so Jarry would be an upgrade over both of them. And they have the available cap space to make the move.
If Utah continues to make a push, and their goaltending continues to be a weakness, this is a move that I could see them taking a chance on if Jarry proves he can still perform and if the price is right.
Edmonton Oilers
If it feels like Edmonton is on every “goalie trade” list like this, it’s probably because they should be.
It’s early, and Stuart Skinner showed up in flashes last season. But his start to the season has been nothing short of unencouraging – a 4.03 GAA and .851 SV% – and the other half of the tandem, Calvin Pickard, has been even worse.
If Evander Kane remains stashed on LTIR because of his hip injury, sending Jarry there shouldn’t be too heavy a lift with the cap situation, especially if one of the goaltenders is shipped out in return. Again, this is assuming Jarry is able to go on a hot stretch and prove that he can get the job done. Otherwise, Skinner is basically Jarry-lite, and the move doesn’t make much sense for them.
This is a team that will likely be hesitant to throw in for a goaltender (cough, cough, Jack Campbell), but it’s also a team that is pretty desperate for any elevation of a shot at a Cup at this point.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit has already shown that it won’t hesitate to waive goaltenders if they’re not performing, as they did with Ville Husso. And that’s probably because this is yet another example of a team desperate to make a playoff push.
The Red Wings have been stuck in the middle under general manager Steve Yzerman for several years at this point. They are trying to take the next step this season, and they aren’t off to a great start.
This, like Colorado, is a perfect example of a team who may become desperate a few weeks from now and bite on Jarry’s contract if he’s playing well and they’re still hanging in there.
Related: Where is Tristan Jarry?
They have Cam Talbot – who is still perfectly serviceable in a tandem but likely isn’t capable of a full starting gig – and Alex Lyon, who has started out hot but doesn’t have the career resume to suggest that will continue. And the situation with Jack Campbell, who entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in October, is an uncertain one, but they only have him on the books for this season.
They’d have to move out Husso’s contract, which is a bargain the Penguins would probably take, considering that he is a UFA in 2025. But this might be a move that makes sense for Detroit if they’re not completely out of it in a few weeks’ time.
Vancouver Canucks
The situation with starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is a volatile one, as he is currently out indefinitely with popliteus tendinopathy, a rare knee condition that is causing him to completely rework his training and conditioning regimen.
This puts the Canucks – presumed to be one of the league’s best teams – in a bind. They would need to move out significant cap to make a Jarry trade work when factoring in Demko, and they have already used all three of their retention slots – meaning the Penguins would have to take on full salary for players.
Goaltender Kevin Lankinen has had a very good start to the season – he currently owns a 1.28 GAA and a .958 SV% – but this is over just three games, and Jarry’s career numbers have been more consistent in comparison. And youngster Arturs Silovs has not made a big enough impression yet to trust him in a starting position, should things with Lankinen go south.
A goaltending trade here largely depends on Lankinen. If he holds his own until Demko returns, this is a non-issue. But if he doesn’t – and Demko is out longer than initially expected – Vancouver will almost certainly be in the market for goaltending.
And, given Demko’s injury history, they may be in the market for a goaltender anyway in the event that Lankinen doesn’t work out. It’s safe to say at this point that it’s probably best for Demko if the team has a tandem situation.
Related: Defense Falters, Penguins Fall To Jets, 6-3
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