NHL Rumors: Oilers May Avoid Trading for Tristan Jarry for One Reason

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry salutes the crowd during 2025 game.

The cries for the Edmonton Oilers to make a goalie trade are only intensfying more and more, and naturally Tristan Jarry’s name has popped up. 

Between ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reporting that Jarry is drawing “significant interest” from Edmonton and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ crowded crease, the connection makes a lot of sense on paper. 

Jarry has rebounded from last year’s waiver drama with a strong start in Pittsburgh, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.53 goals-against average in his first stretch of games while helping the Penguins stay in the playoff mix. For a team whose current tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard owns a league-worst save percentage, it’s obvious why the Oilers are at least kicking tires.

Injury Concern Could Stop Oilers From Trading for Jarry

But according to Elliotte Friedman, there’s one big reason Edmonton might not pull the trigger: Jarry’s injury history. 

Speaking on Sportsnet 590, Friedman said the Oilers have made it clear they want a goalie “who’s healthy,” stressing that the worst-case scenario is paying a premium for help in net… only to watch that goalie land back on the injured list. Jarry has already missed time this season with a lower-body injury and has a reputation for being banged up, which has made Edmonton wary. 

Friedman added that the same concern existed with John Gibson, and that availability has become a huge part of the Oilers’ internal calculus when they look at any potential upgrade in goal.

On pure talent, Friedman admits Jarry “makes a lot of sense” for Edmonton, especially for a team that’s lost in the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row and can’t afford another season derailed by soft goals. However, as he put it, the Oilers are haunted by the idea of trading real assets for a goalie with a track record of getting hurt, only to watch that pattern repeat. 

As shaky as Stuart Skinner has been, he’s at least been available, and Edmonton has to decide whether it’s time for a clean break or whether moving on from him could backfire if his replacement can’t stay in the lineup. 

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images