4 Offseason Trade Landing Spots for Penguins Goalie Tristan Jarry

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas gave Tristan Jarry a vote of confidence at his end-of-season press conference, suggesting the team still sees him as its long-term starting goalie.

He really didn't have much of a choice given that the 28-year-old still has four years remaining on the contract he signed last offseason, carrying a salary-cap hit of $5.375 million per season.

However, what GMs say immediately after the season and what they actually believe (or what they actually do) are two different things. Especially after Jarry lost his starting job at the end of the regular season when the Penguins were still fighting for a playoff spot.

It would not be a stretch to imagine Pittsburgh might look for a way out of that contract, particularly when the netminder's full career is put into context.

Jarry has shown flashes of being an above-average NHL starter, and he even has two All-Star game appearances on his resume. But he has also developed a nasty trend of not always being available or productive when the Penguins need him most. He has had some second-half meltdowns (including this past season), some injury concerns and has never really proved himself to be a big-game goalie.

Given the team's salary-cap situation, its need for more consistent goaltending and Jarry's contract, it might be in its best interests to consider a fresh start this offseason.

While Jarry is far from a star at the position, there are several contending teams around the NHL that are not only in need of goaltending upgrades after this season but might also be able to get such an upgrade in terms of trade assets in return.

Let's take a look at some potential options for that fresh start.

This might ultimately depend on how the rest of the playoffs go for the Colorado Avalanche.

If Alexandar Georgiev gets hot over the next few weeks and leads the Avalanche on a deep run, the need for a goaltending change might not be as urgent. But that would still have to actually happen and there is no guarantee it does.

The 28-year-old had a great debut season with the Avs a year ago after coming over in a trade with the New York Rangers, but his play significantly regressed this season and he remains their biggest question mark in the playoffs.

The thing about the Avalanche situation is they don't really need a goalie to steal games or put the team on their back to carry it. The rest of the roster is good enough that all they need is a goalie who does not lose games. They had that in Darcy Kuemper, who led them to a Stanley Cup.

Colorado has the best offense in the league and one of the best defensive units with a couple of Norris Trophy contenders. Despite all of that, though, its goaltenders combined for the 20th-best save percentage in the NHL this season and had one of the lowest marks among playoff teams.

Jarry has never played behind a team—or defense—that good and might do well in that sort of situation.

Perhaps he could share a role with Georgiev where they both split the net, sort of like a Boston situation. Maybe it is a straight-up goalie swap. Either way, the Avalanche might be in the market for a new goalie and the free-agent options are not really strong.

The Edmonton Oilers are in a similar situation as the Avalanche: An otherwise great team and bona fide Cup contender that simply has a huge question mark in goal.

The Oilers already made one big investment two years ago in the position when they signed Jack Campbell to a long-term deal in free agency, but he has been so bad since that he was relegated to the American Hockey League this season.

Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have been hit-or-miss as goaltending options since then, but it's still a position that could end up holding the Oilers back this season and beyond if they don't do something to fix it.

Jarry has a history with the city after spending his junior career with the Edmonton Oil Kings and might welcome an opportunity to return.

While the Oilers still have to worry about Campbell's contract, he does not seem to be a part of their long-term plans and they could be in the market for another big move at the position this offseason. That's especially if goaltending ends up playing a big role in keeping them from getting closer to a championship.

The Los Angeles Kings were a team that was thought to be in the goalie market before the start of the 2023-24 season, but they were content to roll with Cam Talbot, David Rittich and Pheonix Copley for the campaign.

It actually turned out better than expected, as the Kings received some of the best goaltending production in the league during the regular season.

The only problem is that there is little evidence to suggest it is sustainable for the long term, with all three goalies set to be unrestricted free agents after this season.

L.A. might be a team in need of a goaltending move not just for a potential upgrade but also to simply fill out the roster.

The Kings have $20 million in salary-cap space, with a few key restricted free agents to re-sign (specifically Quinton Byfield), a fact that would complicate them adding a $5 million netminder.

There are always ways around that, though, and this would give Jarry an opportunity to play behind a strong defensive team, the likes of which he has not had the chance to play behind in his career. Maybe that will help him find some consistency.

Kyle Dubas' former team could well be in the goalie market after this season, especially if they go out early in the playoffs (again).

Goaltending has been a huge issue for the Maple Leafs in recent seasons, and that is particularly true this season, with Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones lacking consistency at the position.

Both are also set to be unrestricted free agents after this season, and there is no real reason for the team to consider bringing either of them back.

The Maple Leafs' goaltenders combined for only an .898 save percentage for the season, the second-lowest mark among playoff teams. Samsonov has not done much to inspire confidence in his first three starts in the postseason.

Toronto does still have Joseph Woll under contract for next season at a cheap rate (under $1 million), but it's going to need way more than just him to help solidify the position and play at a contending level.

Perhaps teaming him with Jarry could be a means of getting the most out of the position. at an affordable rate.