The Pittsburgh Penguins placed their starting goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers Wednesday. In July 2023, General Manager Kyle Buas extended Jarry’s contract for five years. Jarry’s contract has a 12-team no-trade clause and runs through 2027-28. It has a salary cap hit of $5.3 million. What is next for the goaltender and the Penguins?
Pittsburgh Penguin Goaltender Tristan Jarry on Waivers
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in 6th place in the Metropolitan Division. They are 18-20-8 through 46 games with 44 points. The Penguins have not been playing to their potential this season and are looking for some changes to turn their season around.
Tristan Jarry has been Pittsburgh’s primary starting goaltender for the past four seasons. He is 144-93-29 in 279 career games for the Penguins, with a save percentage of .917 and 2.75 goals against. Unfortunately, this season, Jarry is 8-8-4 through 22 games, with a save percentage of .886 and 3.31 goals against.
The Pittsburgh Penguins breaking point for putting Jarry on waivers came after a 4-2 loss against the Seattle Kraken at home, in which the Penguins blew a third-period lead. Jarry gave up two goals in 50 seconds and three goals on 17 shots. Now, Pittsburgh goaltending will feature veteran Alex Nedelijkovic and rookie Joel Blomqvist.
Pittsburgh Penguins Playoff Hopes Diminishing
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been struggling and are trying to find consistency in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Columbus Blue Jackets for the last Wild Card spot in the East by four points. However, their loss to the Kraken on Wednesday puts them even further behind in the standings. The Penguins’ struggles do not help their chances of making the playoffs this season.
If the Penguins can get a spark for the second half of the season, they can make a run for the playoffs. However, the Eastern Conference is a tight race, and the Blue Jackets having two games in hand could make it impossible for Pittsburgh to catch up. If Pittsburgh can start playing well and get behind their new starting goaltender, anything is possible in the NHL.
Final Thoughts
The NHL trade deadline is March 7th. The Penguins can still make some trades and pick up players to help their team end their struggles this season. The Penguins have made the playoffs 37 times out of their 57 seasons. The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins made the playoffs was 2022. As for Tristan Jarry, he will find another team to sign with now that he is on waivers. Jarry is still considered a top goaltender, even with the struggles in Pittsburgh this season.
