The Oilers have made their bed with Tristan Jarry

After months of speculation and mounting pressure, the Edmonton Oilers have finally made their move for a goaltender. On Friday, the Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry along with forward Sam Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick.

Jarry had been rumored to be on Edmonton’s radar for some time now, as had the St. Louis Blues‘ Jordan Binnington and the Columbus Blue Jackets‘ Elvis Merzlikins, among others. Ultimately, though, the Oilers landed on the 30-year-old Jarry as their answer in net, jettisoning Skinner who had been their starter for back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances. The onus is now on Jarry, who has a .909 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average in 13 starts with the Penguins this season, to provide a meaningful upgrade in Edmonton’s crease.

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discussed whether or not Jarry is the right goalie for the job in Edmonton.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Did the Oilers get a better goalie today?

Carter Hutton: I don’t know if they got a better goalie. I think they have a guy that hasn’t been through the ringer in Edmonton, in the ups and the downs. He hasn’t lost his room yet. This is a new face, there’s going to be excitement. They’re going to defend for him and I think that’s important. But when I look at this deal and I think about Connor McDavid taking a two-year deal to stay there, like “Hey, Stan Bowman. I’m here and I’m going to leave a ton of money on the table. What are we going to do to win a Stanley Cup?” In that moment, I wasn’t thinking, “Hey, we got Tristan Jarry. This is the answer to our prayers.”

It is concerning. I just don’t know if this is a lateral move to be honest with you. I do think Tristan Jarry is very serviceable. He’s a great first-shot goalie. I think his lateral play and his post integration is tough, but time will tell and this could be a deal that in the era of Connor McDavid, we might review as the one that got away or the one that pushed them over the top.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…