Oilers Explored Big Trade Before Learning How “Trapped” They Were

According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers did try to gauge the market for Tristan Jarry at the NHL trade deadline. That he didn’t get moved wasn’t for a lack of trying. What the Oilers learned is that the contract they agreed to take on when they traded for Tristan Jarry is a contract no one else wants.

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Friedman noted:

“Oilers explored making a change at the deadline (goaltending), but were trapped by Jarry’s contract. They would have had to trade Jarry and it wasn’t possible. Jarry and the Oilers are having a challenge getting used to each other.”

One two fronts, this is troubling news for Edmonton.

First, it appears they’ve already realized they might have stepped in it by trading for Jarry’s three-year contract, which includes two more seasons after this one, at a cost of $5.375 million per season. Forget that they traded Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to acquire him (not an easy thing to overlook), but the Oilers acquired a goalie who is locked in on a contract they can’t trade. GM Stan Bowman wanted the player because he “solidified” their goaltending for the next two seasons. What’s happening now was not expected.

Second, the reported friction between Jarry and his teammates is still a story most thought was overblown, if not dead. That Jarry hasn’t played a game in over a week, and that there are still whispers that things aren’t in a good place, is a significant problem.

It’s not enough that Jarry has a .855 save percentage and a 4.17 goals-against average (60th of 60). The Oilers have no way to dig themselves out of this hole, other than to hope he finds his game. They can’t demote him to the AHL. They don’t feel like they can play him. The Oilers certainly can’t trade him now. Trapped is the best word to describe the feeling surrounding this player.

The Oilers Have Also Trapped Their Current Starter

Worse yet is how much the Oilers are asking Connor Ingram to bail them out. He’s played well, and one could argue the 4-0 loss to Florida on Thursday was not his fault. However, there is only so far Edmonton can stretch a goaltender trying to make an NHL comeback. He’s not used to this many games, and mentally, he may not be ready to be thrown to the wolves, as the Oilers appear to be doing.

It’s no surprise the Oilers looked at possible trade options, with Jordan Binnington, Jesper Wallstedt, and Sergei Bobrovsky rumored to be on their radar. But it’s also no surprise that, if any conversations were actually ever had, they never went very far. The Oilers were trapped by the Jarry trade; no team wanted to bail them out, and Edmonton didn’t have the assets (or the willingness to include them) to send Jarry out.

Next: Oilers Weren’t In the Mix for Sergei Bobrovsky at the Deadline?