Potential Penguins Goalie Trade Emerges as Eastern Conference Finalist Crumbles

The Carolina Hurricanes have not won a game past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2006, the year they won the whole thing.

They are 0-14 in Eastern Conference Final appearances since that time, including having been swept in 2009 (Penguins), 2019 (Bruins), and being swept in 2023 (Panthers).

Nearly two decades without a win at that stage raises questions. Is it a talent gap? Playoff nerves? Coaching? Whatever the root cause, it's clear something has to change.

Enter Tristan Jarry. His playoff statistics: 2-6 record, .891 save percentage, and -4.1 goals saved above average, don't necessarily scream "savior," but a change of scenery may be just what he needs.

And what's more ideal than sunny Raleigh, away from the cold grind of western Pennsylvania? For the price of a possible first-round or second-round selection from Carolina, he would be worth the gamble.

Low short-term cost, upside-potential move, especially for a club that at this juncture requires a win. Not a series. Not a Cup. A single contest in the Conference Final.

Jarry's also tallied an NHL goal, so he gets at least one checkbox for a goalie. He just needs to start stopping the puck more. That being said, sometimes change for change's sake is all that's left.

Carolina doesn't need a miracle. It needs a spark. And Jarry is maybe just different enough to be a risk worth taking. Could Frederik Andersen maybe head to Pittsburgh for a change of scenery, too? Never say never.