Once upon a time, the Pittsburgh Penguins had three goalies: Alex Nedeljkovic, Joel Blomqvist, and Tristan Jarry on the West Coast/Canadian road trip until Thursday.
Then, the team sent Jarry home to Pittsburgh before Friday and Saturday's games at Edmonton and Vancouver respectively.
Mike Sullivan said that Tristan Jarry returned to Pittsburgh on the team's off day Wednesday for individual work with director of goaltending Jon Elkin. "It's just part of the process we've put in place in here over the next little while to help Tristan get to his very best."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) October 24, 2024
Coach Mike Sullivan indicated that the team made the move so Jarry could work with Jon Elkin, the Penguins director of goaltending. Sullivan said this is part of the plan to help Jarry overcome his poor early-season play.
Penguins are not giving up on Jarry
Sullivan said: “The first couple of starts that he’s had haven’t been his best. I’m probably stating the obvious when I say that. But it’s our responsibility to help players through some of the struggles they inevitably go through in this league, and Tristan is no different.”
GM Kyle Dabas echoed the organization's support of Jarry by saying that goalies have had performance issues in the past and have been able to "find their way back and have very successful, long careers."
It is unclear what the next steps of this plan are. If Jarry is not able to regain his form, he may be waived to Wilkes Barre Scranton as Josh Yohe of The Athletic hinted earlier in the week. Jarry is in the second year of a five year contract that pays him over $5.3 million annually.
Waiving him to WBS would save the team approximately $1 million this year. It could also pave the way for the Penguins to buy his contract out next summer if the situation does not improve. In his ninth season, Jarry, 29, has been with the Penguins his entire career,
Though the team is publicly managing this situation with grace and positivity, that may not be the case behind the scenes. Jarry was reportedly on the trading block over the summer, and there were no takers.
The 3-4-1 Penguins next take the ice on Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers. Jarry was an issue in the early games, but he has not played in their three staight losses. Though Jarry's issues are front and center in the media and on people's minds, they are not the only problems plaguing this team.