PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tristan Jarry is going “home” with the hope of helping the Edmonton Oilers get over the top.
The two-time defending Western Conference champions acquired Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday in hopes of shoring up a position that has cost them during their deep playoff runs in recent years.
Jarry, a two-time All-Star with Pittsburgh in 2020 and 2022, starred for the Edmonton Oil Kings as a junior. Now he heads back to Edmonton with a chance to help the Oilers try to win their first Stanley Cup in more than 35 years.
Edmonton sent goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in the 2029 draft to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.
“I just felt it was time for something different,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. “It’s not so much a comment on Stuart Skinner. It’s just maybe time for something different here.”
The move closes an eventful 10 years in Pittsburgh for Jarry, who was signed to a five-year contract in 2023 but struggled so badly last season that the Penguins took the unorthodox approach of demoting him to the minors multiple times.
The 30-year-old Jarry has bounced back this season under first-year Penguins coach Dan Muse. Jarry went 9-3-1 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .909 save percentage for surprising Pittsburgh.
Bowman said the team has been tracking Jarry for a while and that the metrics surrounding his play have been good for an extended period. The fact that Jarry is also signed through 2027-28 also gives the Oilers some stability. Skinner is scheduled to become a free agent next summer.
“It's a (salary) number that we’re going to be able to manage well in our salary cap over the coming seasons, so I think those factors did play a role,” Bowman said. "When you add it all up, it wasn’t just about a couple of games here or there. It was about a career sample size and the fact that he’s going to be with us for three playoff rounds.”
Even if Jarry isn't exactly a proven commodity in the postseason. He holds a career playoff record of just 2-6 with a 3.00 goals against and a .891 save percentage. His shaky play in the opening round against the New York Islanders in the 2021 playoffs played a major factor in the Penguins losing the series in six games.
Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas praised Jarry for the way he responded to being sent to the minors, and allowed at times the team's play in front of him didn't put Jarry in the best position for success.
“I think Tristan is extremely talented,” Dubas said. “It'll be a great opportunity for him in Edmonton.”
The Oilers' problems in net in recent years have played an outsized role in keeping Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and company from getting over the hump and winning the Stanley Cup, especially in the final the past two years against Florida.
Skinner allowed 19 goals on 137 shots, an .861 save percentage, in the 2025 final, and Calvin Pickard was not much better at .878. Skinner also allowed a soft goal in Game 7 in 2024.
Edmonton this season had the fourth-worst team save percentage in the NHL. And while Skinner ranks 38th in the league among goalies who have appeared in nine or more games, Calvin Pickard — who remains on the roster in tandem with Jarry — is last at .851.
Jarry is expected to join the Oilers in Toronto on Saturday. Edmonton's current road swing includes a stop in Pittsburgh next Tuesday.
The Penguins were able to move on from Jarry thanks in part to a deep prospect pool in net, led by 21-year-old Sergey Murashov, who played well during a brief stint in Pittsburgh earlier this season. The Penguins also have 23-year-old Joel Blomqvist at their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and 24-year-old Artur Silovs has been solid if not spectacular this year while splitting time with Jarry in Pittsburgh.
Dubas said there is no firm plan to call up Murashov or Blomqvist in the short term, but that both will have the opportunity to establish themselves as the club's top goaltender at some point in the future, perhaps as early as next season.
Skinner is 11-8-4 with a 2.83 goals against average, though his save percentage is just .891.
The 31-year-old Kulak gives the Penguins an experienced and dependable defenseman who posted career highs in goals (seven), assists (18) and points (25) last season for Edmonton. Kulak has two assists this year for the Oilers.
Poulin was Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in 2019 but has been unable to find his footing at the NHL level. Poulin has only two points in 15 games for Pittsburgh.
The move wasn’t the only one made by the Oilers on Friday. Edmonton also sent a third-round pick in the 2027 draft to Nashville for defenseman Spencer Stastney. The 25-year-old Stastney has one goal and eight assists in nine games for the Predators this season.
“He’s a great skater, a lot of quickness, and he’s been very effective in the penalty kill,” Bowman said of Stastney. “And he’s got some offense to his game as well. I think he hasn’t really reached his true potential yet.”
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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