For many Pittsburgh Penguins fans, a Tristan Jarry trade was at the top of their wish list for the past couple of years. Now that wish has come true, as the goalie has been traded to
Edmonton Oilers.

The Pens also gave up forward Sam Poulin, who has had several chances to make the major league roster, but has been unable to produce. In return, the Oilers have given the Pens goalie Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round draft pick.

The Oilers take on the whole of Jarry’s contract, which is significant since that means the Pens will save a huge sum of money. This trade also undoes what many consider to be one of General Manager Kyle Dubas’ first mistakes – signing Jarry in 2023 to a five-year contract, which had a total value of $26.875 million.

Skinner, meanwhile, has aided in taking the Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals the past two seasons.

While Jarry has been a two-time All-Star, his inconsistent play has been largely unpopular among fans. His performance in games five and six in the first round of the 2021 playoffs put a bad taste in the mouth of the fanbase.

And in January last season, Jarry was placed on waivers after another slump, where he went unclaimed, and was sent down to the minor leagues for a period of time.

Most people expected more of the same inconsistent play from Jarry this season. But to his credit, Jarry has been able to put on a good performance on the ice in the 14 games he has played this season with a .909 save percentage. He has been one of the reasons why the Penguins are now considered a possible playoff team this season.

With this trade, the Pens now have a couple of options in goal: They could immediately go with Skinner and backup goalie Arturs Silovs as their two main goalies, or they could call up Sergei Murashov from Wilkes-Barre, who is considered by fans to be the goaltender of the future for the Pens.

Overall, the trade is a big win for the team and will likely positively contribute to the future of the Penguins. It is important that fans focus on the long-term rather than any short-term repercussions.