Pittsburgh Penguins Goaltender Hits Rock Bottom: Fans Demand a Trade
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire - USA TODAY Sports
Tristan Jarry, the goalie for the Pittsburgh Penguins, was one of the names in the pot when the NHL rumor hot stove was brewing in 2024. Now fans want him gone.
The Surrey, British Columbia, native has had a rough start, and has been considered to play for Team Canada in the forthcoming 4 Nations Face-off in February 2025.
The Penguins are having serious trouble in goal. With three starts under his belt, Tristan Jarry (.833 save%, 5.47 GAA) is nearly as bas as Antti Niemi as a Penguin (.797 save%, 7.97 GAA). Natural Stat Trick reports that Jarry's -4.5 GSAA is currently the second-worst in the NHL.
Here are his stats for his first three game:
Oct. 9 v. NYR - six goals against, .850 SV%
Oct. 14 v. MTL - three goals against, .889 SV%
Oct. 16 v. BUF - three goals, 11:33, .400 SV%
Oct. 14 v. MTL - three goals against, .889 SV%
Oct. 16 v. BUF - three goals, 11:33, .400 SV%
Regretfully, Jarry's decline in reputation as a trustworthy netminder is not a recent occurrence. Jarry picked up exactly where he left off in the struggle zone after losing his position as the Pens' starting goalie in the closing days of last spring.
Although Pittsburgh's general manager Kyle Dubas has not shown himself to be as extreme in his reaction, the circumstances have deteriorated to the point where discussions about the issue are undoubtedly warranted. Fans are growing with frustration and want Jarry out.
«We all believe in Tristan,» Sullivan said, via NHL.com. «He's a quality NHL goaltender. We think there's another level to his game. The expectations are high, so we're going to push him to be at his very best Jars is a proud guy. He's a competitive guy. He's a quality goalie. I think he has a certain mindset that he wants to come in and he wants to prove that he's the quality goalie that we all expect him to be. And that will play itself out in due time.»
Additionally, there is another factor at work. Backup goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was activated from the injured reserve as he continues to recover. But by giving Nedeljkovic a rehab assignment in the AHL, the team is buying themselves some time and using a sensible strategy to allow him to regain his form.
Since Nedeljkovic is only allowed to play three games in the AHL, time is running out and decisions about how to proceed must be made.
Blomqvist has saved 16 of 17 high-risk shots this season, so it makes perfect sense to keep him with the big club. This will give him more playing time and possibly help him earn a long-term spot on the squad.
It is a bit unlikely that Jarry will be traded anytime soon because teams are already at the salary cap and nobody wants to sign a struggling goalie to a costly, lengthy contract. At least nobody would send back an equal or worse contract, leaving the Pens in their current situation.
| POLL | ||
18 OCTOBRE | 158 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins Goaltender Hits Rock Bottom: Fans Demand a Trade What do you think the Penguins should do with Tristan Jarry? | ||
| Trade him | 67 | 42.4 % |
| Place on Waivers | 54 | 34.2 % |
| Bench him, see what happens | 37 | 23.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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