Oilers swap goalies with Penguins in hopes of fixing longtime netminder woes
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins sent two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to Edmonton on Friday in exchange for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in the 2029 draft.The move closes an eventful 10 years in Pittsburgh for Jarry, an All-Star selection in 2020 and 2022, who was demoted to the minors multiple times last season after struggling with his form.The 30-year-old Jarry has bounced back this season under first-year Penguins coach Dan Muse.Jarry is 9-3-1 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .909 save percentage for surprising Pittsburgh.
He is signed through the 2027-28 season.The Penguins have an increasingly deep prospect pool in net, led by 21-year-old Sergey Murashov, who played well during a brief stint in Pittsburgh earlier this season.Skinner, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, is 11-8-4 with a 2.83 goals against average, though his save percentage is just .891.Goaltending has been an issue for the two-time defending Western Conference champions.
Only six teams have allowed more goals per game than Edmonton entering Friday.The problems in net in recent years have played an outsized role in keeping Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers 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, Pickard — who remains on the roster in tandem with Jarry — is last at .851.Yet the swap for Jarry — who will be returning to Edmonton after starring for the Oil Kings during his junior career — contains a bit of the unknown.Jarry is just...