Penguins Ink Jarry to a Three-Year Deal

The torch has officially been passed.

Three years after Matt Murray assumed the full-time netminding chores from franchise icon Marc-Andre Fleury, general manager Jim Rutherford officially turned the reins over to Tristan Jarry, signing him to a three-year contract with an annual cap hit of $3.5 million.

“Tristan is coming off of an All-Star season and has demonstrated the ability to be a regular starter for us,” said Rutherford. “He is a fundamentally sound young goaltender who we believe is a great asset for the Penguins.”

Following an uneven start to his career, the 25-year-old native of Surrey, British Columbia blossomed in 2019-20, posting a solid 2.43 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and three shutouts along with a goals saved above average mark of 11.07. His strong play, especially in November and December, earned him an All-Star game selection.

Murray’s numbers paled in comparison—a 2.87 goals against average, .899 save percentage and one shutout with a tepid goals saved above average of minus-11.60.

With the final bell toll of his Penguins career pretty much struck, the Thunder Bay native is reportedly anxious to start fresh with a new team.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now suggests that Minnesota could be a possible destination for the two-time Stanley Cup winner. The asking price? Possibly the 31st pick in this year’s draft.

Simon Says Bye Bye

The Penguins seem ready to move on from Dominik Simon.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rutherford doesn’t plan to extend the 26-year-old RFA forward a qualifying offer prior to Wednesday’s deadline.

“Dominik would be the one that would be tough to qualify because he has arbitration rights,” JR told the P-G. “We don’t know where that number goes. We can’t risk getting put over the cap.”

Too, Simon is on the mend from surgery to repair a torn labrum and may not be available to start the season. With the Pens already tight against the cap, they can ill-afford to pay for damaged goods.

One of the most polarizing players to don the black and gold in recent years, Simon drew raves from the coaching staff, his teammates and advanced metrics mavens. He had his share of detractors, too, few more vocal than our own Other Rick. Although a clever player and a decent playmaker, Simon’s paucity of production hardly seemed to justify all of the praise, not to mention a top-six role.

With Simon apparently out of the picture, perhaps it opens the door for the Pens to sign fellow RFA Anthony Angello, a hulking 6’5” power forward and potential net-front presence who notched 16 goals in 48 games for the Baby Pens last season. Or maybe GMJR spends the money on a low-cost free agent.

It’s rumored JR may still be looking for a third (or fourth) line center, a right-shot defenseman and a veteran backup goalie.

Maybe there’s still hope for a trade involving Sam Bennett.