Let me lead off with this: I personally think Tristan Jarry is trending upward and the Penguins would be better off allowing him to remain in the black and gold.
However, I'm aware that many Penguins fans disagree with such sentiments. Thus, I'm extending an olive branch to those of you who want to see Tristan Jarry out of Pittsburgh, and I hope you'll realize I'm tendering to your preferences as well.
So, Jarry to the Oilers, eh? Let's see how it would work.
The Oilers have a goaltending problem
I'm in the middle of watching Game 4 between Los Angeles and Edmonton as I write this, and if you've been paying any attention to this series, you're well aware that the Oilers have a serious issue between the pipes.
Their two options are the 26 year-old, Stuart Skinner, and the 33 year-old veteran, Calvin Pickard. Both will be in the final year of their respective contracts next season, and both are on team friendly deals, however, their disappearance in the playoffs has reared its ugly head once again.
Now, they're far removed from the horrendous Jack Campbell ineptitude of a few years ago, but that's not to say that Edmonton is running out of time with their Stanley Cup contention window with their goaltending being a big reason in why they can't win it.
Last year was thought to be the year, but Stuart Skinner's poor play in Games One, Two, and Three against Florida proved too much to overcome.
Right now, Edmonton is facing a similar fate. Skinner and Pickard have combined for an .820 SV% through the first three games of the series. If they go down 3-1 (which you'll know by the time you're reading this whether they will or not), then Edmonton's playoff failure is likely to continue.
Changes of scenery sometimes work
As for Tristan Jarry, the end of this season might suggest that he's back on track. Since his return, he went 8-4-2 with a .904 SV%. Could Jarry maintain said success in a new jersey? Possibly.
Honestly, though, the pressure surrounding Edmonton right now is approaching deadly levels. Connor McDavid will be a free agent after next season. Leon Draisaitl's contract is about to get even more expensive.
The window is closing, and if you think Tristan Jarry had a lot riding on his performance in Pittsburgh, what do you think the Edmonton media would do if he was acquired and didn't play up to par?
I want to see Tristan Jarry succeed. I'd rather that be on the Penguins, but Edmonton could succumb to recency bias and take a chance on him in hopes that he would lead them to where they want to go.
A theoretical deal
The Oilers do not have a lot of cap space to work with next season, especially given how paper thin their depth is already. They've got a lot of expiring contracts this offseason as well, so this deal would have to be very delicate to even appeal to Edmonton.
If Jarry were to end up in Edmonton via trade, the Penguins would have to eat a lot of his contract, meaning that the deal itself might not even be worth it for Pittsburgh.
Let's say they deem it so. I'd say Pittsburgh would have to shoulder $2-3M of Jarry's contract per year for the Oilers to bite. By then, it would make Jarry's financial stipulations on par with what Stuart Skinner is owed right now (which is a great value for his regular season production).
We saw it last season with Joonas Korpisalo and Linus Ullmark. I could see this being a similar goalie swap.
With the Penguins doing the Oilers a favor financially with this move, the Penguins would receive Dalyn Wakely, who was one of the best scorers in the OHL this season with 23 goals and 35 assists for the Barrie Colts.
Additionally, the Penguins would receive the services of the aforementioned Stuart Skinner. Right now the Penguins need a regular season performer in net to get back to the playoffs; the Oilers need something different - anything.
Now, if you think this deal isn't likely to happen, think again.
The Oilers have been notorious for making poor trades throughout their history. Desperation makes people do crazy things - like trading for Tristan Jarry.
The Oilers' situation plays to the Penguins' advantage. One more McDavid meltdown after falling short will force the hand of an Edmonton front office that has very little financial flexibility to work with.
If you're the Penguins, make it tantalizing on the money front, then make out like a bandit and watch what unfolds.
Jarry might be their answer, which is why I'd rather him be the answer for Pittsburgh, but if you're looking to deal Jarry, the Oilers might be the perfect suitor.