The Edmonton Oilers management group may like a do-over on the Tristan Jarry trade. In what was somewhat of a panic decision, general manager (GM) Stan Bowman chose to send both Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak, along with a 2029 second-round pick, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Jarry and Samuel Poulin.
The trade was met with plenty of skepticism right off the get go, as many didn’t feel that Jarry was an upgrade over Skinner. Though it’s still early, what we’ve seen from the new Oilers number-one netminder would suggest that if anything, he’s a downgrade.
Entering Friday night’s tilt versus the Carolina Hurricanes, Jarry was sporting an ugly 3.85 goals against average (GAA) along with a .864 save percentage (SV%) through 12 appearances. That certainly wasn’t what the Oilers traded for, and fans are rightfully frustrated. It may not just be fans, however, as well-respected Oilers insider Bob Stauffer is suggesting their may be a rift between Jarry and the core group.
Related: Mangiapane Fiasco Has Oilers Management Looking Extremely Incompetent
“There’s some extraneous things that have me quite concerned with Tristan,” Stauffer said on Oilers Now on Friday.. “I can read between the lines of what was going on the ice yesterday in practice. There seemed to be some [expletives] flying. I didn’t like that Jarry, when the Oilers lost 7-3 to Minnesota, talked about how the team is playing defensively in front of him.
“I watched him yesterday in practice, and he was getting beat [by pucks] in practice, and finally one of the leaders, you could see him [say] ‘You’ve got to push it more.’ And it’s both [goalies]. And that’s concerning.”
These types of comments, especially from someone as well informed on the Oilers as Stauffer, are extremely concerning, particularly this late in the season. It’s worth mentioning that though Skinner had his ups and downs in Edmonton, there was never any sense of tension between himself and his teammates. He also never once voiced his frustration over their defensive play to the media which Jarry already did following the Minnesota Wild outing which Stauffer referenced.
Oilers Trade Looking Like a Massive Mistake
Though everything is easier to review with hindsight, the decision to trade both Skinner and Kulak to the Penguins is looking like a bigger disaster by the day. Not only did they seemingly get the worse of the two goalies, but they moved out a big piece of their blue line, which was already a point of concern for this team.
The other underlying element to all of this was that Skinner’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season. That means the Oilers could have chose to walk away from him for nothing in the offseason, just as they could have with Kulak, who is also on an expiring deal. Jarry, meanwhile, has two extra seasons on his contract with a $5.375 million cap hit. The Penguins retained none of his deal, meaning that, based on what we’ve seen, the Oilers are likely to be stuck with him.
Teams that are desperate to make a move often wind up getting lost in the process and overpay. While things can change in terms of opinion on the deal, it’s more than fair to say overpaying is exactly what Oilers management did in this situation.
Related: 5 Fun Facts About New Oilers Forward Jason Dickinson
What also can’t be overlooked is the fact that Skinner, and his former tandem partner Calvin Pickard, were both very popular teammates. Losing both, even if it was expected, seems to have had a negative impact on the dressing room, and the results are showing on the ice. Though there is still time for them to turn things around, the way they have played as of late has them at risk of missing the playoffs. Should the struggles continue much longer, things will only get more tense in the Oilers room.
