The Penguins placed Tristan Jarry on waivers on the afternoon of January 15. If he clears, the goaltender will be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, and Kyle Dubas said Joel Blomqvist would receive an opportunity in Pittsburgh alongside Alex. Nedeljkovic.
“At this point, I think it’s best in the long term for the team and for Tristan to allow Joel to come here,” said the Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager. “We think over the last year and a half, with his play in Wilkes-Barre and when he’s been here with us, he’s earned the right to take a chance, and we have a chance to see what he can do in a prolonged look.”
Dubas explained what led to the decision, first acknowledging that Jarry, a two-time NHL All-Star, showed up to training camp in excellent shape after the team challenged him to have a solid summer after an eventful 2023-2024 campaign. .
But a rough start, where Jarry went 1-1 before being pulled in the third game and posted a 5.47 goals-against average and .836 save percentage, led to a Two-week conditioning mission in WBS.
The Penguins hoped this would serve as a reset, and Jarry did well, winning four of five games against good competition. Upon returning to Pittsburgh, Dubas said they were committed to giving Jarry “a good runway” before a seven-game, 15-day stretch that begins Friday in Buffalo.
“From my point of view, it was just about being patient, seeing how it unfolded as we went through this date in mind, because it was important for us because we are on the point to hit the road for a few weeks. We figured that would be enough time to measure it,” Dubas continued.
He’s started 17 of the 29 games since, and while Jarry has worked hard to build his game, for whatever reason the inconsistency has continued as the Penguins have struggled to find results. They are 1-3-1 in a five-game homestand and 2-5-3 since returning from vacation.
“I think throughout that period he continued to come here, continue to work and it wasn’t a question at all. It just hasn’t materialized the way we would like on the ice,” Dubas said. “At this level, we get to the point where we have to do what is right in the long term, for him and for us.”
