Oilers acquire Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and 2029 pick
PITTSBURGH — The Edmonton Oilers, off to a slow start this season after falling in the Stanley Cup Final during each of the past two seasons, made quite a splash on Friday morning.
Currently seventh in the Western Conference standings, the Oilers looked to finally solidify their goaltending position by acquiring Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.
In return, the Oilers sent the Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.
Pittsburgh is also sending 2019 first-round pick Samuel Poulin to Edmonton in the deal.
Jarry, who was sent to the American Hockey League on two occasions last season, has enjoyed a strong start to the 2025-26 season. He is currently 9-3-1 with a 2.66 GAA and a .909 save percentage. It is one of the better starts of his career, although Jarry has a history of strong starts, which have helped land him in two NHL All-Star games. The 30-year-old British Columbia native has also had a tendency to fade down the stretch and has never won a playoff series.
Jarry’s all-time postseason numbers are not good. He is 2-6 in eight career playoff games with a 3.00 GAA and a .891 save percentage.
Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas was roundly criticized for giving the unpredictable Jarry a five-year contract in the summer of 2023. Jarry has largely disappointed since signing that deal, the last two months notwithstanding. The contract, which comes with a $5.375 million cap hit, expires following the 2027-28 season.
Jarry has a history with Edmonton, as he won the Memorial Cup for the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014. He resides in Edmonton in the offseason.
The Penguins were willing to make the trade not only because of Jarry’s historical unpredictability but also because they have a young goaltender in Sergei Murashov who is currently dominating AHL competition and is close to being the No. 1 option at the NHL level.
Poulin has never scored a goal in 15 career NHL appearances.
The Penguins get a second-round pick as they continue to compile future assets. They also acquire expiring contracts in Skinner and Kulak, both of whom could potentially help them now or be candidates to be flipped at the trade deadline, should the Penguins’ feel-good start to the season decline rapidly.
Edmonton made another trade on Friday morning, acquiring defenseman Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators.
Skinner, a key member of the Oilers teams that came so close to beating Florida in each of the past two Stanley Cup Finals, has not played particularly well this season, compiling an 11-8-4 record with a 2.83 GAA and a .891 save percentage.
