NHL Writer Shoots Down Penguins’ $26 Million Trade Rumor

There has been a lot of smoke surrounding a potential Tristan Jarry trade away from the Pittsburgh Penguins since late June.

On June 21, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writer Mark Madden suggested that “it’s time” for the Penguins to part ways with their $26.875 million goaltender.

“The re-signing of goalie Alex Nedeljkovic makes zero sense for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unless they trade starter Tristan Jarry,” Madden argued at the time. Noting that the two-year deal effectively blocks highly touted goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist from being promoted.

The Athletic’s Rob Rossi later confirmed this conjecture as factual, reporting that “multiple teams have been informed that Jarry, who received a long-term contract last July, is available in a trade” on June 27.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also hinted that a Jarry trade might make sense during Sportsnet’s “32 Thoughts” podcast on June 25.

Despite all of that, Bleacher Report analyst Lyle Richardson shot down this trade rumor down on July 11, alluding that it is a pipe dream.

“Jarry’s inconsistent play last season is the main factor behind the trade conjecture,” Richardson stated. “That performance combined with his contract makes him difficult to move.”

This led Richardson to conclude that Jarry and Nedeljkovic will start the season as the goalie tandem in Pittsburgh with Blomqvist continuing his development at the AHL level — even if the Penguins would prefer to rid themselves of the 29-year-old netminder this summer.

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Penguins’ Tristan Jarry Has 12-Team No-Trade Clause

Adding to the unlikelihood of a Jarry trade is his current no-trade clause.

Rossi explained that the goalie’s “contract includes a 12-team no-trade list, and Jarry’s representatives can provide [president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle] Dubas with a new list at the start of the new league year” on July 1.

That list has since been submitted, although it’s unclear which teams Jarry selected.

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Penguins’ Indecisiveness Has Led to Goaltender Logjam

The other interesting detail from Rossi’s article with The Athletic revealed what led to the Penguins current predicament. And it appears to have been a whole lot of indecisiveness on Pittsburgh’s part.

“The Penguins were uneasy with committing to Jarry last offseason but felt it was their best option,” the reporter wrote. “So, they took a chance on a well-liked, homegrown goalie who had shown — at times — that he could perform at a top-10 level. But there was frustration with Jarry’s uneven performances, reactions to teammates after goals and a perceived lack of pushback when Nedeljkovic wrestled the starting job from him down the stretch, team sources said.”

Later, Rossi also relayed that there is a “lack of consensus internally” on Blomqvist’s NHL readiness, let’s say Jarry is traded and Nedeljkovic got hurt.

“Team sources said Blomqvist remains highly regarded, but there is some hesitation in turning over a veteran-heavy roster led by Sidney Crosby to Blomqvist in case of an injury to Nedeljkovic,” he reported.

This uncertainty played into the Penguins’ decision to re-sign Nedeljkovic.

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Penguins’ Sidney Crosby Extension Rumor Believed to Be Legitimate

During the same fact-finding article with Bleacher Report, Richardson deduced that rumors of a Crosby extension are legitimate.

Rossi reported this on July 9, informing that the two sides are “closing in on a new contract.”

“Rossi wouldn’t be reporting this unless a deal was close at hand given Crosby’s importance to the Penguins,” Richardson responded. “Despite concerns from Pittsburgh fans and pundits over the current state of the team after missing the playoffs for the last two years, it seems Crosby will finish his NHL career as a Penguin.”

And if the Bleacher Report analyst is correct, Jarry will remain in Pittsburgh too.

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