Tristan Jarry has looked like a different goalie in Edmonton.
That’s not the version the Oilers saw when he arrived and tried to wrestle Stuart Skinner’s starting job away, and it’s not the profile he built as Pittsburgh’s starter either. But in a smaller sample this season, Jarry has given Edmonton something useful: proof that he can still play a clean, composed game when the chances are limited and the night doesn’t ask him to survive 40 shots.
His first start of the season came against the San Jose Sharks, and he stopped 19 of 20 pucks. A few of those stops came in tight, and with Macklin Celebrini in the opposing lineup, holding him to one goal while also coming away with the win counted as a strong night. Jarry didn’t get another start until Saturday against the Utah Mammoth.
That game had plenty of edge to it from the jump. Utah had never won at Rogers Place before the Oilers’ loss on Thursday night, and that alone gave Saturday a little extra bite. Edmonton answered by jumping out early, and Jarry handled the early work that came his way while his teammates piled up a huge lead.
Once the Oilers moved ahead 5-0, the result felt secure. Jarry’s shutout disappeared after former Oilers draft pick John Marino blasted one through traffic, and then Mikhail Sergachev got a strange goal that bounced off the top of the net and then off Jarry’s back before going in.
For a moment, there was at least a flicker of concern. Jarry settled it with a key stop on Clayton Keller, and soon after that Connor McDavid pushed the margin back to four.
So while the scoreboard got a little messy late, the larger picture was clear: Jarry was steady, the Oilers got their revenge, and Edmonton has suddenly found itself with real depth in net. Jarry isn’t on backup money, but with Devon Levi playing well as a 1A, Frederik Andersen inching toward a healthy body, and Jarry performing at the same time, the Oilers are looking at an embarrassment of riches in a spot that has been a known weakness for a long time.
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Edmonton is still not close to being fully healthy, but the next stretch could bring even more relief. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is nearing his season debut, and Jason Dickinson is expected back soon after, giving the club a chance to steady its lines and sort out a lineup picture that has been in flux for weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Trade Radar Just Raised One Big Penguins Deadline Question
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Rust is the name drawing the most interest for a reason, with his pace and puck pursuit making him a natural fit in a top-six role alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Any serious pursuit would almost certainly have to come with meaningful futures attached, though, and the frameworks floating around center on draft picks and prospects rather than a simple rental-style swap. No deal is done yet, but the line between speculative deadline chatter and real trade pressure is starting to look thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Make Another Low-Risk Depth Bet That Could Actually Matter
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For the Oilers, it is the sort of bet that fits the margins of a contenders season: modest risk, little immediate cost, and a chance to find a useful piece if the fit clicks. Hallanders path back has already made him a notable name in the deal, and Edmonton will be hoping the next step is about hockey again rather than health as it looks for depth that might actually matter when injuries and lineup churn arrive. [Read more 🡒]