Edmonton Oilers
Tristan Jarry Makes Surprising Admission When Talking About Trade to Oilers
Ahead of his return to Pittsburgh, Tristan Jarry spoke about the shock of being traded to the Oilers.
Tristan Jarry hasn’t even been an Edmonton Oiler for a week, yet he’s already back in Pittsburgh to face the Penguins. The hockey world is still processing Friday morning’s blockbuster deal that sent Jarry and Sam Poulin to Edmonton in exchange for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick.
It was a move that had been speculated about for some time, but few expected it to happen so quickly — including Jarry himself.
Having heard his name in and out of trade rumors for several years, the two-time All-Star netminder had learned how to block out the noise. So when he got the call from general manager Kyle Dubas, he was shocked.
Despite all the chatter, Jarry never truly believed he would leave Pittsburgh, something he spoke about Monday ahead of his rapid return to the Steel City.
“I always thought that I would never play for another team. I loved Pittsburgh. I loved living there. I loved the city and everything that came with putting that jersey on. It was very special to me, and it was anything and everything I could have imagined… I put my heart and soul into this team, and I hope they understand that. All I wanted to do was win in Pittsburgh, and I hope I was perceived that way,”
The 30-year-old spent parts of 10 seasons as a Penguin, posting an overall record of 161-100-32 to go with a 2.74 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and 22 shutouts.
Jarry is currently in the third season of the five-year, $26.875 million extension Dubas signed him to upon taking over as the general manager in Pittsburgh back in the summer of 2023.
He’s expected to get the start Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena against his former team, and potentially opposite the goaltender he was just traded for — Stuart Skinner — who could be making his Penguins debut. It’s shaping up to be a must-watch matchup between the Oilers and Pens.
There is pressure on Jarry to perform. He was asked about the voracious hockey market that is Edmonton. He responded that there’s a huge following for the team, and “I think just with everything that comes with the team and comes around the team, it’s obviously a different challenge.” He noted that Pittsburgh is a great hockey city and they’re very passionate about their team, “and I think bringing that to Edmonton makes it a little easier for me.”
When asked how he thinks the Penguins fans will respond to him on Tuesday night, “You never know,” he said. “I hope in a good way. I put my heart and soul into this team, and I think, I hope they understand that. You never want to go into a game thinking you’re going to lose, you want to win every single game that you step foot on the ice, and I think that’s all I want to do is win in Pittsburgh, and I hope I see it that way.”
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