The Edmonton Oilers—particularly GM Stan Bowman—have taken a ton of heat for the trade that sent Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin—and for good reason. So far, the deal has blown up in their face in more ways than one, leading some to feel it’s turned into one of the worst trades of the year.
While it’s hard to argue with that right now, Jarry still has the opportunity to bounce back and find his game, shifting the narrative and, more importantly, stabilizing the Oilers’ crease. Much of the hockey world has given up on that possibility, though not insider Bob Stauffer. He still believes Jarry has more upside than Skinner, signaling that he’s not ready to give up on the move just yet.
“I will tell you personally, I believe that Tristan Jarry—and I want to be careful how I say this because I really like Stuart Skinner. I watched Tristan Jarry in major junior, I watched Stuart play—I think Tristan Jarry has a higher ceiling than Stuart Skinner. I think he’s got a better glove hand. I think he handles the puck better. He hasn’t been the same since he got hurt, and he’s going to have to grind in practice here to get his game back,”
The 30-year-old Jarry has gone 7-6-1 since arriving in Edmonton, sporting a rough 4.17 goals-against average and .855 save percentage, along with one shutout across 13 starts. Meanwhile, Skinner, 27, has had more success in his new home, posting a 9-5-4 record to go with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage through 18 starts with the Penguins.
Given how poorly his time as an Oiler has gone, it’s difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to Jarry. That being said, he has proven to have the talent to be an upper-echelon goalie in the NHL as a two-time All-Star who posted numerous strong seasons in Pittsburgh.
Until he starts to demonstrate that in Edmonton, nobody is going to care. But he’s been this way—inconsistent and dealing with injury issues—throughout his career, so if he does re-emerge at some point and gets hot for the Oilers, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. That’s just who he is.
Next: Kris Knoblauch Lands on Insider’s Short List of Coaches on the Hot Seat
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