Pittsburgh Penguins Came Very Close To Blockbuster Trade That Failed

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Daniel Lucente
October 18, 2024 (3:09 PM)

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The Pittsburgh Penguins nearly completed a massive blockbuster trade a little while ago involving goaltender Tristan Jarry, and reports state it failed to happen.

Most of the offseason chatter in Pittsburgh surrounded a contract extension for captain Sidney Crosby that finally came down at the end of September. Another storyline that at least somewhat did surround the Penguins was the future of goalie Tristan Jarry. Some pundits predicted Jarry wouldn't be in black and gold to start the 2024-25 season. But when the Penguins took the ice on opening night, Jarry was there in search of his status as the team's number one goalie, which he lost to Alex Nedeljkovic down the stretch last season.

Jarry's return to the net did not go according to plan. In the Penguins' home opener, he was in goal for the 6-0 blowout against the New York Rangers. Jarry struggled throughout, eventually getting pulled from the net and further damaging an already fragile case as the number-one goaltender for the Penguins. It was a rather poor way to start off for someone trying to prove that he still deserves that starting role.

According to The Athletic's Josh Yohe, the performance of Jarry was "unprofessional." In another revelation, Yohe explained that the Penguins tried to move Jarry during the summer but couldn't find teams interested in him. That failed trade underlined a cloudy future for Jarry in Pittsburgh, especially as the competition for a starting goalie remained wide-open.

All this has done is drive the speculation about Jarry's future even hotter. Some reporters, including Yohe, had suggested the Penguins might even try trading him again, with one of the potential destinations being the Colorado Avalanche. In Colorado, their goalie, Alexandar Georgiev, has early inconsistency, posting a .802 save percentage and 5.79 goals-against average in his first four games, leading some to wonder if a switch in net could benefit both sides.

With the erratic play and expensive contract with a 12-team no-trade list, it won't be easy for Penguins GM Kyle Dubas to move Tristan Jarry. If the trade avenues continue to be elusive, the Penguins may be pushed toward considering a summer buyout that would leave Jarry's future with the club in very much doubt.