The New York Rangers suddenly have a hole in goal, and that kind of problem tends to send front offices looking for quick fixes. One name that fits the moment is Tristan Jarry, with the Edmonton Oilers as a possible trade partner.
New York is dealing with Igor Shesterkin being ruled out for the season, while Joonas Korpisalo is expected to miss another four weeks. That leaves the Rangers in an immediate bind as they try to protect a promising start.
The idea on the table is simple, though only as a hypothetical proposal and not a reported negotiation:
Oilers receive: 2027 fifth-round pick
Rangers receive: Tristan Jarry (no salary retained)
For Edmonton, the appeal starts with money. Jarry carries a $5.375 million cap hit through the 2027-28 season, and moving that deal without retaining salary would open up room for other roster needs. The Oilers would still have to replace the backup spot, but doing so at a lower price point would create meaningful savings.
Devon Levi makes that conversation more interesting. He has won his first three starts, including a 29-save effort against Anaheim. That stretch is enough to make starting him look like a real option, even if three games is hardly enough to prove he can handle a full season.
With Frederik Andersen reportedly out until December, Levi could take on most of the workload until Andersen is back. From there, Edmonton could shift to a less expensive tandem and use the savings elsewhere on the roster.
Of course, the Oilers can’t just move Jarry and hope the rest sorts itself out. They would need a dependable backup already lined up to support Levi and step in if things go sideways.
Matt Tomkins and Connor Ungar are the internal choices in Bakersfield. Tomkins has a .943 save percentage and a 1.54 goals-against average through two appearances, while Ungar has an .871 save percentage in one game.
Tomkins has the stronger early numbers, but neither goalie has done enough to be considered proven NHL help. Edmonton would have to decide which one could give them enough short-term stability without overloading Levi. Tomkins could get the first look, with Ungar still in the mix.
For the Rangers, Jarry would offer something they need right now: a goalie who can step in and start. While Korpisalo is out, Jarry could handle the net and give New York a chance to split the workload once Korpisalo is healthy instead of leaning on one goalie to replace Shesterkin by himself.
The cost is modest - a fifth-round pick - but the risk is real. Jarry has been inconsistent lately, and his contract runs beyond this season, which means New York would still need a plan once Shesterkin returns next year. He also has a 12-team no-trade list, which could complicate any deal.
Even with those complications, the fit is obvious enough to explore. Edmonton could clear salary and move forward with Levi, while New York would get an experienced stopgap right away. If the Oilers trust their Bakersfield options, this is the kind of swap that makes sense to at least consider before the Rangers settle on something else.
In Other News...
Evan Bouchard Is Forcing A Big Oilers Debate Early
Evan Bouchard has wasted no time putting himself at the center of the Oilers early-season conversation. Through four games, the defenseman has six goals and 11 points, leading all blueliners in scoring and sitting second on the team in points behind Connor McDavid. He has also been logging a heavy workload while helping drive Edmontons offense, another sign of how much the Oilers are leaning on him right now.
The numbers have been impossible to ignore, and they have naturally reopened a familiar debate around Bouchards game. His offensive impact is obvious, but his defensive play remains the part of the conversation that keeps the Norris Trophy discussion from becoming straightforward. For Edmonton, the question is less about whether he has been one of the NHLs most productive defensemen so far and more about how far that production can carry him if the rest of the profile does not fully match. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Have Found More Than Depth In This Trade
The Oilers latest swap with Pittsburgh was framed as a depth move on paper, with Spencer Stastney going the other way and Filip Hallander coming back to Edmonton. But the more interesting part of the deal is what Hallander brings beyond simple roster insulation. He is a younger center who has done most of his growing up in the Swedish Hockey League, where his play has stood out enough to earn international attention, and he arrives with a profile that suggests there may be more here than a routine bottom-six addition.
Hallander has also given Edmonton a small but encouraging offensive glimpse in limited NHL usage this season, which only adds to the intrigue around how the Oilers might use him while injuries continue to test their forward depth. Stastneys metrics were solid but unspectacular, so the trade could end up being judged less by what Edmonton gave up than by whether Hallander can translate his strong track record into a larger role. For a team that needs reliable minutes now, the possibility of uncovering a useful center along the way makes the deal worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Devon Levi Is Giving The Oilers A Real Starter Debate
With Frederik Andersen sidelined, the Oilers have leaned on a goaltending tandem of Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry, and the early returns have made the crease look a lot less settled than it did a few weeks ago. Levi has started three games and has given Edmonton a steady enough presence to keep winning, while Jarry has only had one chance to answer and was left with an overtime loss.
The bigger takeaway for Edmonton is that Levi is quickly turning a short-term necessity into a real conversation about the future. General manager Stan Bowman brought him in from Buffalo with an eye on upside, and the Oilers have reason to like what they are seeing so far, especially with Andersen unavailable and the backup plan still taking shape behind him. [Read more 🡒]