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Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov tries to get to a loose puck behind Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

Tristan Jarry Right to Call Out Oilers’ Defensive Struggles

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Feb 2, 2026 2:15 PM ET

Perhaps Stuart Skinner wasn’t the main issue after all. Despite helping lead the Edmonton Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, there were many, both fans and media alike, who thought goaltending, and in particular Skinner, was the main reason Connor McDavid and company had yet to win it all.

Given all the scrutiny surrounding the Oilers goaltending, it felt like it was only a matter of time before a change in guard was made. That came on December 12, when the Oilers announced that they had traded Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Tristan Jarry and 24-year-old winger Sam Poulin.

Though there were some mixed reactions over the trade, the vast majority of Oilers fans felt that Jarry, while far from perfect, was an upgrade over Skinner between the pipes. Though things with the Penguins hadn’t gone great in more recent years, his prior track record was enough for many to believe he could be the missing piece to bring the Oilers the Stanley Cup.

A lot can change in less than two months time, however. Jarry’s tenure with the Oilers hasn’t started out as hoped. He was forced to miss time with a lower-body injury, and has struggled since returning. Through 10 games with his new organization, he has a 3.59 goals against average (GAA) along with a .873 save percentage (SV%). While he certainly needs to be better, his struggles help prove the bigger issue with this Oilers team.

Oilers are a Mess Defensively

The Oilers defensive play since morphing into a contender has been a hot-button topic. There are many detractors who suggest they give up far too many chances against, while supporters will argue they are a much better defensive group than given credit for. It’s starting to seem more and more apparent that the former were correct.

Though neither Jarry nor Skinner are top-tier goalies, they are no where near the bottom, either. Many of Skinner’s fans tried suggesting when he was with the Oilers that he simply wasn’t getting enough help from his teammates in front of him. Those notions were often laughed off by others, and Skinner himself never put blame on his teammates.

That isn’t the same for Jarry, however, who appears to already be frustrated by what’s going on in front of him. Though it wasn’t the biggest call out of all time, the 30-year-old did make it clear after being pulled versus the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night that his team needs to be better in front of him.

“I think the chances that we’re giving up, some of the shots, they’re tough,” Jarry told reporters postgame. “I think it’s a lot of Grade A’s, a lot of breakdowns. It’s tough to really think about your game at this point. It’s a whole team game.

“Everyone knows that when we play the game that we want, I think that’s the game that we want to put on the ice and that will put us on the better side of things more so than not. But, to be on that side, we just have to tighten up and we have to eliminate some of the chances … The way that we want to play, we want to play fast, we want to play up, we want to play in their end. When we’re taking some of those chances, they come back at us. It’s tough. We have to make sure we’re managing the puck a bit better.”

Could Be the Wake-Up Call the Oilers Need

Though players calling out their team isn’t always a recipe for success, many Oilers fans feel that these comments are a fresh breath of air. There have been plenty of times that media and fans have got on the Oilers’ case for their defensive play, though it often seems to be brushed aside by the team themselves.

As mentioned, we never really heard these types of comments from Skinner. That is by no means a shot at the former Oiler, who clearly was just wanting to do everything he could to be a respected teammate. Still, for many who have grown frustrated watching this team’s defensive play, these comments from Jarry were needed, and could wind up giving this team the kick in the pants that they need to finish the season out strong.