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One month later, the Tristan Jarry trade has a clear winner
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Tristan Jarry trade chatter has flipped, as Pittsburgh Penguins fans watch the Edmonton Oilers deal with the same old questions.
It's been about a month since the swap, and the «early returns: promising» read feels fair.
Not because anyone won a trophy in January, but because the Penguins finally got flexibility and usable NHL pieces.
On Dec. 12, Pittsburgh sent Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin to Edmonton for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick.
That's the whole bet, cap relief plus a re-roll in net, with a pick attached.
Tristan Jarry trade pays off for Pittsburgh
As a Penguins watcher, the best part is simply not arguing about the same goalie every second day.
The room feels like it can breathe, and that matters when a season is already noisy.
Skinner's numbers in Pittsburgh have been quietly strong.
He's 4-4-0 in eight starts with a .901 save percentage, and he's won four of his last five while giving up seven total goals.
On the Edmonton side, Jarry's start has been bumpier, and health is part of it.
He's played four games for the Oilers with a .878 save percentage and a 3.28 goals-against average, which is the exact volatility everyone in Pittsburgh lived through.
The cap math is still the headline.
Jarry carries a $5.375 million hit through 2027-28, while Skinner is at $2.6 million and can hit unrestricted free agency after this season.
Then there's Kulak, who looks like the kind of «boring» add that stops a few fires.
He's signed at $2.75 million through 2025-26, and he has four assists this season overall, with two of those coming since the trade.
Tactically, it's simple: a steadier third-pair exit, fewer panic rims, and a little less time trapped after lost draws.
That lets Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson pick their spots instead of patching holes every shift.
It's still early, but this is the kind of deal that can age well, because Pittsburgh bought options.
The next milestone is whether Skinner holds the crease through February, and whether that 2029 pick turns into real ammo later.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Stuart Skinner appears to throw shade at the Oilers fanbase
Stuart Skinner appears to throw shade at the Oilers fanbase
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 16|175 ANSWERS One month later, the Tristan Jarry trade has a clear winner One month later, who's benefiting more from the Tristan Jarry trade? | ||
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 127 | 72.6 % |
| Edmonton Oilers | 20 | 11.4 % |
| Both teams | 25 | 14.3 % |
| Neither team | 3 | 1.7 % |
| List of polls | ||