After failing to cross the finish line in the last two NHL seasons, Connor McDavid may be wondering whether there’s a realistic chance for him to succeed with the Edmonton Oilers. Perhaps Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins have the answer to McDavid’s frustrations in Alberta.
Recently, McDavid’s Oilers were advised to fix a big problem with a Penguins teammate of Crosby. NHL insider Jeff Marek recently suggested on Inside Sports the name of Tristan Jarry as a potential solution to the Oilers’ goaltending situation.
However, it appears that Edmonton will need cooperation from Pittsburgh in order to make a deal happen. During a recent edition of his podcast “The Sheet,” Marek stated that the Penguins may need to absorb a large portion of Jarry’s salary to facilitate a trade with the Oilers.
“I think if the Penguins retain half, I think that there’s a shot,” Marek said in regard to the possibility of a Jarry trade to Edmonton, via NHL Rumour Report on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Can Dubas move Jarry without retention? Probably not, but which team is gonna ask him to retain the least and maximize the return?”
Are the Penguins willing to leave Crosby without Jarry?
Jarry, 30, has three years left on his five-year, $26.75 million contract with the Penguins. The Oilers have little wiggle room to operate this offseason, which is why they’d probably need help from Pittsburgh’s side.
While Jarry has been in the Steel City since 2013, the franchise may be considering a breakup this year. After all, the Penguins are in rebuild mode even with Crosby still on the team.
Besides, Pittsburgh seems to have options behind Jarry. This offseason, the front office pulled off a trade with the Vancouver Canucks for Arturs Silovs. And it’s been a while since the Penguins drafted Joel Blomqvist, who may be ready to prove his worth in the NHL.
A big decision to make in Edmonton
Whether Jarry is the goalie who will save McDavid is debatable, but it’s safe to say that Edmonton needs to make a change at the position. And according to reports, the Oilers already know whether to let go of Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard.
Rory Boylen of Sportsnet believes that Pickard is a bigger candidate to pack the bags, as Edmonton might prefer to find a new backup for Skinner rather than looking for a replacement as starter.
That doesn’t mean the front office didn’t explore that option recently. According to insider David Pagnotta, the Oilers were cut short by Patrick Kane’s Red Wings in their pursuit of John Gibson.
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Still, it doesn’t seem like Edmonton has been too busy in the search of a new goaltender, which may sound surprising considering how much of a problem that position turned out to be for McDavid and company during the Stanley Cup Finals. So unless the Oilers get to work or Crosby’s Penguins give them a hand, we may have to wait for a change in their goaltending situation.