The Edmonton Oilers decided to shake things up ahead of the December freeze, shipping out Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins to bring Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin, who is currently skating in the American Hockey League.
Earlier reports indicated the Oilers wanted to pair Skinner with Jarry in sort of a 1A-1B situation at the crease. But with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas playing hardball over the prospect of retaining any of Jarry’s salary, the only way Edmonton could make the deal work was to send Skinner’s salary out along with Kulak’s to bring Jarry to town.
The deal raised more than a few eyebrows across the NHL world, but most analysts held the same opinion: that there was a clear winner in the Tristan Jarry trade.
Tristan Jarry Trade Winners and Losers in the Spotlight
Let’s get the facts out of the way. Skinner was by no means a terrible goalie for Edmonton. He is 11-8-4 with a 2.83 goals-against average, .891 save percentage, and has two shutouts in 23 games this season. Skinner also racked up 27 saves in the 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings last night.
Jarry, meanwhile, is 9-3-1 this year with a 2.66 GAA, .909 save percentage, and one shutout in 13 games. Neither goalie has made a name for themselves as a bona fide playoff performer. In fact, Skinner has seven playoff series wins to his name. Jarry has none.
Tristan Jarry – 9-3-1, 2.66 GAA, .909 SV% & 1 SO
Stuart Skinner – 11-8-4, 2.83 GAA, .891 SV% & 2 SO https://t.co/exrQCtjmF6
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 12, 2025
That said, here’s where Kyle Dubas’s game plan comes to the fore.
The Penguins essentially traded a goalie for a roughly equivalent goalie on a cheaper contract without term. Pittsburgh also landed a second-round pick and a serviceable NHL defenseman who can be flipped at the deadline.
The Oilers essentially believed that their hand was forced and that the team’s trust in Skinner had waned, believing a change was the need of the hour. Jarry’s ceiling is believed to be higher than Skinner’s, but that was a hefty price to pay for someone who has been known to fade in the second half of the season. Jarry is also an injury-prone goaltender, further complicating matters.
READ MORE: Oilers Insider Reveals Edmonton’s Immediate Plans for Goalie Connor Ingram
The fact of the matter is that the Oilers are betting on Jarry jolting some life into this defense. The Penguins, meanwhile, can extract a lot of value from the assets coming their way.
You could make the argument that the Oilers’ hand was forced into this trade, given their goaltending issues were well-documented, and that Jarry has been on the upswing since making a remarkable comeback.
All things considered, the fact that Dubas managed to dump all of Jarry’s term with an expiring contract, a flippable D-man, and a second-round pick, Pittsburgh comes away with a big win, while the Oilers put all their eggs in the Tristan Jarry basket.
