The Edmonton Oilers continue to do their due diligence in search of a viable goaltending option. Just about every possible goalie has come up in conversations. But there’s one name that’s begun to resurface in this discussion.
That goalie is the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ Tristan Jarry. During the December 6 edition of Saturday Headlines, insider Elliotte Friedman brought Jarry’s name up again in connection with the Oilers’ search for a goaltending solution.
In particular, Friedman declared:
“I do think there’s legitimate Edmonton interest in Jarry. But I think it is extremely complicated, and it might not be possible, mainly because Pittsburgh has indicated it will not retain. He’s got two more years at $5.375 million, and the Penguins are not willing to retain.”
Under those circumstances, it would be extremely challenging for the Oilers to land Jarry without going through some major cap gymnastics. Edmonton has about $160K in cap space, PuckPedia shows. As a result, there’s no way the Oilers can fit Jarry’s cap hit without making some significant moves.
The situation, however, does not stop there. As Friedman noted, the plan is not to trade Stuart Skinner for Jarry. Instead, the idea is to pair Skinner with Jarry as part of a tandem. Friedman expounded on the point:
“One of the reasons I don’t believe it’s possible is because I don’t think it’s a Skinner-for-Jarry situation. I believe with the Oilers, what they would like to do, if they could ever do this, is to pair Skinner with Jarry.”
While it may seem far-fetched, it would appear the Oilers’ dream scenario at this point would be to roll with Skinner and Jarry as their goalie tandem.
Pickard Likely Out in Oilers Trade with Penguins
The odd man out in an Oilers trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins would be Calvin Pickard. The 33-year-old would be on his way out to make room for Jarry.
Unfortunately for Pickard, this season has not been kind to him. He’s appeared in 10 games, winning three, and showing a 4.04 GAA and .851 SV%. Those numbers have been atrocious. As such, Pickard would lose his spot in the crease.
It remains unclear if the Penguins would take Pickard in a trade involving Jarry. Pickard will be a UFA next summer. Plus, the Penguins have three potential goalies in Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov, and Joel Blomqvist.
Edmonton Might Need Separate Deals to Fit Jarry under Cap
It’s unlikely the Oilers would be able to make on single trade with the Penguins to fit Jarry under their cap. It might take separate moves to clear enough cap space to get Jarry under the cap ceiling.
If the Penguins are truly adamant about not retaining on Jarry, the Oilers would have to make moves to clear up enough space. That’s a tough situation, as the club may not have the flexibility to move enough money.
Even if the Penguins took Pickard, it would only represent $1 million. The Oilers would need to clear about an additional $5 million to make things work. As Friedman noted, bringing in Jarry would be a great idea, but a hard one to make come true.
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