One day after the blockbuster trade with Pittsburgh, Tristan Jarry is poised for his Edmonton Oilers debut Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, bringing personal ties to the city and a renewed focus after a rebound season.
Following the Oilers' acquisition of Tristan Jarry from the Penguins in exchange for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick—as detailed in our prior coverage—Jarry will start against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNP). The 30-year-old goaltender, who has a 9-3-1 record, 2.66 GAA, and .909 SV% in 14 games this season, views the move as a fresh opportunity after a tough prior year.
"Just learning from the mistakes I had last year," Jarry said. "Obviously learning from that experience has made me a stronger person and a better goalie." Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch welcomed the veteran: "Tristan is an established goaltender... he's shown that he's been very solid."
Jarry's connection to Edmonton runs deep: he won the 2014 Memorial Cup with the WHL's Oil Kings, owns a home nearby, and has trained with captain Connor McDavid in the summers. McDavid paid tribute to departed Skinner, who backstopped the Oilers to two straight Cup Finals: "For leading the way to two Cup Finals... He was a good person while he was here."
Jarry anticipates facing Pittsburgh on Tuesday, referring to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang as "family." The trade, which also brought forward Samuel Poulin to Edmonton, addresses goaltending woes as the Oilers chase another Cup run.