There has been some chatter over the past few weeks that the Edmonton Oilers had explored making a change in net at the trade deadline, but ultimately didn’t go through with one. Now we know why.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, it was Tristan Jarry’s contract that stood in the way.
Last week on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman dropped a bombshell that explains everything:
“Oilers explored making a change at the deadline (goaltending), but were trapped by Jarry’s contract. They would have had to trade Jarry and it wasn’t possible. Jarry and the Oilers are having a challenge getting used to each other.”
Since arriving in Edmonton on December 12 in exchange for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick, Jarry has been hardly any more reliable than his predecessor. The goaltender currently ranks dead last among qualified NHL goalies with a .855 save percentage (58th out of 60 qualified netminders) and a 4.17 goals-against average (60th of 60).
His last stretch before being demoted from the number one has been particularly bad. Since returning from injury in mid-January, Jarry has managed just a 4–7–1 record across 12 games with an .846 save percentage.
Tristan Jarry contract albatross
The real issue around the deadline wasn’t just Jarry’s performance though. Jarry carries a $5.375M cap hit through the 2027–28 season, a commitment that has essentially locked the Oilers into a situation they cannot escape.
With just $200,000 in deadline cap space after acquiring defenceman Connor Murphy, Edmonton would have needed to move Jarry to bring in another goaltender. But as Friedman revealed, finding a trade partner willing to take on that contract for a goalie posting historic lows was “not possible.”
Names like Jordan Binnington, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Jesper Wallstedt were floated as potential targets. But each scenario hit the same roadblock.
The on-ice struggles are reportedly bleeding into the locker room. Multiple insiders have reported friction during practices with radio host Jason Gregor observing Jarry “getting lit up” drill after drill, giving up an unusually high number of goals.
Bob Stauffer noted “expletives flying” during practice sessions while also criticizing Jarry for publicly commenting on the team’s defensive play following a 7–3 loss to Minnesota, a move that reportedly didn’t sit well with teammates who felt the blame was being deflected.
Earlier this month, Friedman had also reported on his podcast that there was “talk of Jarry getting into it with some of his teammates during practice.”
Ingram named starter, but is it enough?
On March 15, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch officially named Connor Ingram the team’s starting goaltender for the playoff push effectively demoting Jarry to a $5.375M backup role.
Ingram, who has posted a 9–6–2 record with a .891 save percentage and 2.79 GAA over 20 games, is a clear upgrade. But the question remains that is it enough for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations?
The Oilers have lost in consecutive Cup Finals. Connor McDavid signed his two-year extension with one mandate: win now. Yet here they are, heading into the playoffs with a goaltending situation that’s somehow worse than it was three months ago and with no way to fix it.
The Oilers currently find themselves in a tight run for the playoffs with superstar Leon Draisaitl ruled out for the regular season. There is little else the team can do now in terms of reinforcements.
If Ingram can continue to play his best game in the remaining stretch and beyond, then kudos to the goaltender. If not, then…
Welcome to the nightmare on Jasper Avenue.
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