The Pittsburgh Penguins named Kyle Dubas president of hockey operations on June 1. He has no doubt been busy getting familiar with the organization and even hiring Jason Spezza as assistant general manager. However, he has yet to make any big roster moves. The Penguins have several players who will hit the market as unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on July 1. That list of players includes starting goaltender Tristan Jarry. There is no denying that Pittsburgh struggled at the goalie position this season, and with free agency looming Dubas has some big decisions to make.
Penguins Goaltending Options
If Jarry’s play had to be described in one word this year it would be inconsistent. He played in a total of 47 games and had a .909 save percentage (SV%) with a 2.90 goals-against average (GAA). He was supposed to prove himself this season and earn his new contract, but at the end of the day, he simply could not stay healthy.
Dubas has made it clear that he is open to exploring all options when it comes to the goalie position including free agency. There are a few different options for the Penguins to explore and perhaps the most interesting one is Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill . His play during the postseason was a huge reason why the Golden Knights were crowned Stanley Cup champions. He just finished the final year of his current contract which was two years at $4.35 million average annual value (AAV). It is safe to say he is due for a raise, and the Golden Knights have less than $3.5 million in cap space. Logan Thompson, who was the starter for Vegas for most of the regular season, is signed for two more years. If they choose to part ways with Hill, he should be a top consideration for the Penguins.
Another notable goaltender who could be hitting the open market is Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders. In the last four seasons, he has a 59-51-14 record with a .917 SV%. Although he is 35 years old and the second oldest goalie on the free agent market, his play has remained consistent throughout his time in New York. There is no doubt that Ilya Sorokin will start for the Islanders next season and Varlamov may want to go to a team that will make him the starting goaltender. If Pittsburgh does decide to give Jarry another chance, it may just be as a backup to a guy like Varlamov.
Antti Raanta of the Carolina Hurricanes will also be a UFA come July 1. He played in 27 games this season and had a .910 SV%. He split his time between the pipes this season with Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Anderson. Anderson will also become a UFA on July 1 so it appears Carolina will have a decision to make. Raanta is known around the league for being a hard worker who makes his job look easy. If the Hurricanes choose to go in another direction, the Penguins should seriously consider him.
Decision Time In Pittsburgh
It has been relatively quiet in Pittsburgh since Dubas was hired at the beginning of the month, however, that is all about to change. With the NHL Draft scheduled for June 28 and free agency opening on July 1, the rest of the summer will be busy for the Penguins. It is unlikely that they will enter another season with Jarry as the starting goaltender. There are more than a few good options available to Pittsburgh, and it is now time for Dubas to make some long-awaited decisions.
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