It’s so easy to overlook the fact that athletes are very human, just like you and me, and that there’s a personal side to their lives that we rarely think about or consider. A point recently and poignantly driven home by Dan Kingerski of PHN when he interviewed defenseman Brett Kulak, who by all accounts was both ambushed and devastated by the trade that sent him to the Avs scarcely two months after his mid-December arrival in the ‘Burgh.
On the flip side of the deal that brought Kulak and Stuart Skinner here from Edmonton, former black-and-gold netminder Tristan Jarry is likewise going through a massive ordeal in his new digs.
Performance-wise, the 30-year-old native of Surrey, British Columbia, is melting down on a grand scale, not dissimilar to what he experienced here at the start of the 2024-25 season. In 15 games since joining the Oilers, he’s registered a 4.17 goals against average and .854 save percentage, with only three quality starts to his credit of out 13. The fact that Tristan actually has a winning record (7-6-1) despite his porous performance, a testimonial to the awesome firepower put forth by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl & Co.
Lately, it’s gotten even worse. Over Tristan’s last six appearances dating back to a 7-3 loss to the Wild on January 31, he’s posted an atrocious .807 save percentage to go with a 1-5 record. Culminating in last night’s 7-2 loss to the Stars.
I checked out videos of some of the goals Jarry allowed on NHL.com and winced. It was painful to watch.
To make matters worse, based on reports, it sounds as if he’s had run-ins with his teammates. Coupled with his steadily worsening performance, I can’t begin to imagine how utterly alone he must feel. Like it’s him against the world, or at the very least the Oilers and their howling-mad fan base, to say nothing of rival NHL teams looking to exploit his sagging confidence.
I’m not a Penguins insider and don’t know anything about Jarry, personally. You hear hints and whispers…who knows if they’re true.
Nobody deserves to go through what he’s experiencing.
I can only imagine how excruciating it must be for him to take his place in the Oilers’ net, knowing the slightest bobble or slip-up could trigger a fresh wave of vitriol and recrimination. Especially when you’re fighting the puck and yourself.
The incredibly sad part? Tristan appeared to turn his career around following a difficult ’24-25 when the Pens waived him twice with no takers. I thought he played very well for us through the early portion of this season, as his 9-3-1 record, .909 save percentage and 2.66 goals-against average attest. Well enough for a team with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations to acquire him.
The trade even had a bit of a storybook quality about it, with Tristan returning to the city where he backstopped the junior Oil Kings to a Memorial Cup in 2014.
Only to have the bottom drop out again.
Such a long (and lonely) way to fall.
I don’t know what the future holds for Jarry. For the sake of both player and team, I can’t imagine the current situation will be allowed to run on unchecked. Although the odds are squarely against it, maybe Tristan makes a miraculous recovery and regains the form that earned him two All-Star game appearances. His hot-and-colds are extreme to the max. When he’s on, he can be brilliant. And when he’s not…
It’s far more likely given his current level of play that he’ll be waived yet again and sent to Bakersfield, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate. Or at the very least, consigned to the far end of the Oilers’ bench. Perhaps even LTIR.
Whatever turn his fortunes take, God bless him. I hope he’s able to overcome.
