It has become clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins are the clear winners of the Tristan Jarry-Stuart Skinner swap. Acquiring Jarry did not solve the Oilers’ goalie woes; instead, he exacerbated them.
The franchise’s confidence in him has worn out, and the goalie problem remains unresolved. When all is said and done, the Oilers could consider another netminder swap this summer, but among the options available, the Edmonton front office is unlikely to go for Ottawa Senators’ beleaguered goalie Linus Ullmark.
Edmonton Oilers Unlikely to Trade Tristan Jarry for Linus Ullmark
The Ottawa Senators are fighting tooth and nail to get back in contention for the playoffs. Sitting just one spot out of the wild-card berth, the Senators, with 86 points, must dislodge the Columbus Blue Jackets to keep postseason hopes alive. However, the Sens’ most recent campaign in the Sunshine State poured cold water on those plans.
Goalie Linus Ullmark, who has registered the worst save percentage of his career (.886) this season, hit a new low in the showdown against the Florida Panthers, which the Senators lost 6-3. Ullmark gave away five goals in 16 shots before being replaced by James Reimer, who made 12 saves.
Ullmark is experiencing an unprecedented slump in his career, but that may not be the only reason why the Oilers would be averse to acquiring the Sens goalie. As Sean Gentille and Frank Corrado discuss in a recent episode of “The Athletic Hockey Show”, Ullmark is merely in the first year of his mammoth four-year contract, which has a cap hit of $8.2 million.
“Edmonton says no, because there are three years left for Ullmark after this one, three years remaining on that contract for 8.25,” Gentille stated.
To be fair, the Oilers have had little luck with Jarry. HC Kris Knoblauch made it clear in March that Connor Ingram would be the Oilers’ starting goalie going forward. “Connor (Ingram) is our starting goalie. He will be getting the majority of the starts as of now until something changes,” were Knoblauch’s words.
Jarry’s performance took an unexpected dip after he left the Penguins. Instead of being the figure who was supposed to put an end to the pesky issue of goaltending in Edmonton, the 30-year-old was quickly relegated to second place.
While the Oilers would theoretically be on board with acquiring a more productive goaltender, Ullmark, who comes at a significantly steeper price, would be at the bottom of that list.
“Even if you think both of those guys stink… one of them has a significantly larger AAV for two extra years. Like it is a no-brainer,” Gentille concluded.
At the end of the day, the Oilers’ struggles with goaltending might warrant a more holistic approach than just another goalie swap. The team has long been at the center of discussion for its defensive shortcomings, and might finally need to address them fully before considering another netminder move.
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