Penguins Waive Goaltender Tristan Jarry Amid Struggles

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Pittsburgh Penguins placed starting goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers Wednesday, marking a significant shift in their goaltending strategy amid a challenging season. The decision comes after Jarry, 29, posted an 8-8-4 record with an .886 save percentage and a 3.31 goals-against average in 22 games this season.

General Manager Kyle Dubas, who signed Jarry to a five-year, $5.375 million contract extension in July 2023, cited inconsistent performance as the primary reason for the move. “At this point, just feel it’s best in the long run for the team and for Tristan to allow Joel [Blomqvist] to come up here,” Dubas said. “We think over the past year and a half, with his play in Wilkes-Barre and when he’s been up here with us, he’s earned the right to have a go at it.”

Jarry, a two-time NHL All-Star, has been the Penguins’ primary goaltender for the past four seasons, compiling a 144-93-29 record in 279 career games. However, his playoff performances have been a point of criticism, with a 2-6 record and an .891 save percentage in eight postseason appearances.

The breaking point came during Tuesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, where Jarry allowed two goals in 50 seconds during the third period. He finished the game with three goals surrendered on 17 shots. The Penguins, who rank third-worst in team save percentage (.882) in the NHL, will now rely on veteran Alex Nedeljkovic and rookie Joel Blomqvist in net.

Head Coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, emphasizing Jarry’s contributions to the team. “Tristan is a really good person, first and foremost, and we care about all of our guys in here,” Sullivan said. “He’s played a lot of good hockey here in Pittsburgh. I don’t think you make the All-Star team twice if you don’t have a certain level of talent.”

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby expressed regret over the team’s defensive struggles, which he believes contributed to Jarry’s challenges. “I think a goaltender already has a ton of pressure, and I think it’s difficult for us because we feel like as a team we’re responsible if we don’t give our goalies enough help sometimes,” Crosby said.

As the Penguins prepare for a seven-game road trip, the focus shifts to Nedeljkovic and Blomqvist. “We have a lot of confidence in whoever’s in there,” forward Bryan Rust said. “I think a lot of it stems from our game, too. We have to do a whole lot better job playing defense in front of our goalies.”