Tristan Jarry’s 2025-26 season with the Edmonton Oilers has largely been viewed as a letdown, defined by uneven performances, injuries, and whispers of tension behind the scenes.
After Edmonton’s early first-round playoff exit to the Anaheim Ducks, concerns around Jarry have only grown louder.
Doubts Grow Over Tristan Jarry’s Future With the Oilers
Jarry arrived in Edmonton on December 12, 2025, in a blockbuster deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Oilers sent Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick the other way, receiving Jarry and AHL forward Samuel Poulin.
The idea was simple: bring in a more experienced goalie who could steady the position. Instead, the move has quickly come under fire, with some already calling it one of the franchise’s more questionable trades in recent years.
Jarry never really found his rhythm. Injuries interrupted his momentum, and inconsistency became a recurring theme. In 16 starts, he posted a 9-6-2 record with a 3.86 goals-against average and an .858 save percentage, the lowest among Edmonton’s goaltenders this season.
Eventually, he lost the starting role to Connor Ingram, who emerged as a more reliable option heading into the playoffs.
Off the ice, things didn’t seem much smoother. Reports surfaced of heated moments in practice, suggesting Jarry’s transition into Edmonton’s locker room wasn’t entirely seamless. Now, following the Oilers’ playoff exit, the uncertainty around his future is back in the spotlight.
Former Oilers player and coach Craig MacTavish doesn’t sound all that optimistic about an easy solution. “I don’t think you can flip him,” MacTavish said on the Oilers Now podcast. “I mean, he’s making $5.5 million or whatever it is. You’ve got to try and work with him. I don’t think there’s any other course.”
MacTavish believes the more realistic path is to stick with Jarry and build around him, rather than swinging another costly move.
“What I anticipate and predict will happen is we sign Connor Ingram, we come back with Jarry, and we roll it out again,” he added. “If you try and upgrade Jarry, it’s gonna cost you a lot of money, and you’re better off giving them another opportunity, and if it doesn’t go well down the road, try and add somebody, trade deadline-wise or sooner, that can prop you up.”
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With two years left on a deal carrying a $5.375 million cap hit, Jarry remains the only Oilers goaltender under contract long-term. That reality makes this offseason decision even more complicated.
For now, Edmonton may not have a clean way out, only a choice between patience and another gamble.
