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Tristan Jarry was at home Friday morning when his phone rang.
On the line was Pittsburgh Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. He urgently needed to see the veteran goalkeeper.
Jarry had no idea his time playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin was over.
And that he would be heading to another franchise loaded with incredible talent – Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – desperately trying to bolster its position in hopes of finally capturing hockey's biggest prize after two playoff series ended in bitter disappointment.
Jarry was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers in a five-player trade Friday that saw fellow netminder Stuart Skinner go a different route.
Jarry, 30, who barely had time to learn everyone's name in the Edmonton locker room, then came out and made 25 saves in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
“Different place, different shape,” he said after McDavid and Draisaitl each scored three points. “Just trying to get comfortable as quickly as possible, play my game and just be healthy for them.”
Edmonton included defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round draft pick in a package heading to Pittsburgh, while minor league forward Samuel Poulin went a different route. Skinner and Kulak, a pair of Edmonton natives, are both set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Jarry has this season plus two more left on his contract.
“A lot of emotions,” Jarry said of his reaction to the deal earlier in the day after his morning skate. “Having played in Pittsburgh for a long time, I'm very grateful for my time there. It was incredible. I couldn't have asked for anything better, but just to hear what it was like for the Oilers, it's very exciting.”
McDavid said the team was looking forward to reuniting with Jarry and guard Spencer Stastney, who were added from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 third-round draft pick in a separate move Friday.
“It's a sad day to see these two guys go, two guys that have been great for us for a long time,” the Oilers captain said. “I'm glad to present [Jarry] and Spencer, two guys who have played well this year.”
Owning a 10-3-1 record with a .909 save percentage and 2.69 goals-against average in the 2025-26 season, Jarry has had a roller coaster of an NHL career.
The Surrey, British Columbia product enjoyed success in both 2020 and 2022, earning him a five-year US contract worth $26.875 million. But he struggled early last season before he cleared waivers and was assigned to the American Hockey League.
“There was a choice to be made,” said Jarry, who eventually regained his form after being demoted. “Did I want to pull myself together and call it, or did I want to learn from this experience. Learning from this experience has made me a stronger person and a better goalkeeper.”
Jarry, who played in the junior team of the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Oil Kings and lives in the area during the summer, has a career .909 save percentage and 2.74 goals per game in 307 NHL games.
“Whether you're a Stanley Cup champion, a runner-up or a team that just missed the playoffs, I think you always need some element of change,” Oilers head coach Chris Knoblauch said. “We feel like we have made some improvements to our team and look forward to our next chapter.”
The six-foot-four, 201-pound Jarry will replace Skinner as the Oilers' No. 1 player in goal after the latter helped them reach the Cup finals back-to-back the last two years before falling to the Florida Panthers.
Skinner has had some amazing moments in Alberta's capital, but also had his fair share of bad moments. He has become a lightning rod for criticism for a club in “win now” mode, with McDavid under contract until 2027-28 rather than later. The 27-year-old started this season 11-8-4 with a .891 save percentage and 2.83 goals-against percentage.
Knoblauch, however, said Skinner's time with the franchise should be looked back on “very positively” given the post-season success.
“It’s not very often that a goalie gets two chances to get to the Stanley Cup Final,” Knoblauch said. “He's had his ups and downs, but I think a lot of his downs were probably a little unfair on him. He wasn't stellar every night, but I thought he was a really solid goalie.”
With just eight NHL playoff games under his belt, Jarry will now be tasked with taking the Oilers up a notch.
“I totally accept it,” he said. “It will be an interesting challenge. I think the opportunity to be at the top of the sport… that's something you always want, to have that opportunity. To be on this team and be able to do this, it will be special.”
