The Edmonton Oilers landed goaltender Tristan Jarry in hopes of finally solving a perceived pain point for the team. The talk over the last couple of years has been the up-and-down, roller coaster ride that was their situation in the crease.
The trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins seemed inevitable. Not so much dealing with the Penguins, but the trade itself. The Oilers had to do something, anything, to appease the calls for action.
The first two games of Jarry’s tenure looked solid. It seemed as though the club had finally found its answer. But on Thursday night, the Oilers learned a painful lesson about why the Penguins moved on from Tristan Jarry.
Late in the second period in the Bruins-Oilers game, Jarry left the ice due to an apparent lower-body injury. Here’s a look at the injury:
📹: Sportsnet
According to renowned medical expert, Dr. Harjas Grewal, the injury isn’t career-threatening, but it is season-threatening for the Oilers:
Hence, the reason why the Penguins preyed on the Oilers’ desperation for a goalie. Jarry has had a track record of inconsistency and injury. If Edmonton fans believed that Stuart Skinner was a box of chocolates, they’ll get the whole case with Jarry.
While Jarry’s injury may not be a serious one, it could be a lingering issue. Those sorts of issues lead to goalies coming an out of the lineup. In some cases, groin injuries never fully heal unless a player shuts everything down for a while.
What does that mean? It means the Oilers have learned an expensive lesson.
Oilers Have to Turn to Pickard, Again
So, Jarry’s injury means the Oilers are right back where they started a week ago. Except this time, they don’t have the luxury of Stuart Skinner to fall back on. The club will now have to ride with Calvin Pickard until they can figure out if Jarry’s injury really is that bad.
If it is, assuming Grewal’s week-to-week prognosis, the Oilers will roll with Pickard. The problem is that there’s no telling how long they’ll rely on him. It could be a couple of weeks, or it could be a couple of months.
It seems as though the Oilers’ season will largely hinge on how well Pickard can hold the fort in Jarry’s absence.
There Won’t Be Any More Goalie Trades in Edmonton
The Oilers had one shot to get the goalie situation right this season. They took it on Jarry. If anything, Edmonton had to do something, anything. Well, that situation means that there won’t be any more goalie trades in Edmonton.
If Jarry is out long-term, there really isn’t anything else to do. A second goalie trade, unless it’s for a third-string goalie, just isn’t feasible. The Oilers have other crucial areas to upgrade. They’ll potentially be looking for a blueliner to offset the loss of Brett Kulak. There’s also a clear need in the forward group.
That being said, it’s Jarry or bust for the Oilers this season. As much as injuries like this are awful setbacks, it’s the risk that comes with making trades in any sport, not just the NHL.
Oilers Quickly Learning Why Penguins Traded Jarry