CRANBERRY TWP., PA (93.7 The Fan) – Tristan Jarry said he knows there will be competition, but he wants to be the Pens starting goalie next season and will fight to keep his job.
It’s not a contract situation, he will go into year three of a five-year deal to begin 2025-26. That helps him for as much as he’s signed and the $5.375 million a year will make him tougher to trade.
Joel Blomqvist already took some of his starts. He will be healthy next year with that experience behind him. Sergei Murashov just turned 21 and is having a breakout year in the minors. Jarry said he’s seen this before and will attack it the same way he did when he was in their position.
“Being a younger guy you want to push those older guys out of a spot,” Jarry said during locker cleanout on Friday. “When I was younger it was Matt Murray, Marc-Andre (Fleury). It was tough to get up here. I have to have that same mindset being one of the older guys. I can’t let anyone steal my job or take my job away.”
“I have to play to my experiences and what I know and be the person I am. That’s what I need to do and at the end of the day it’s about wins and losses for this team.”
He didn’t do that well enough this season which leads to the uncertainty and competition. Jarry felt like he was well prepared for the season, was in really good shape.
“Obviously the start of the season didn’t go the way I wanted,” Jarry said.
In his first three starts he had given up 12 goals and pulled from the third. He was sent to the minors on a conditioning assignment, which seemed to be more about getting his mind right than anything. He came back and started, but despite a couple of strong outings, he was wildly up-and down.
Jarry said while it’s a team sport, alluding to not everything being his fault, it’s on him to be more consistent. It got so bad the moment came he could have never imagined.
“Going on waivers, it was something upsetting for me,” Jarry admitted. “It wasn’t something that I ever expected when I signed my contract and it was something that obviously happened and I had to build from it. I had to grow. I had to be a better goalie.”
“I have to use those experiences and use those lessons to my advantage. It’s something that I didn’t expect, Its something I have to learn from and something I have to be better for, obviously starting the (2025-26) season will be a huge key for me.”
The play improved as the season wound down, shutouts against Ottawa and Chicago and good performances against the Devils, Islanders and Panthers. Now it’s going to be an offseason proving that he can be that goalie consistently. Speculation will continue due to the young players, but Jarry made it clear his goal is to be something he hasn’t been, a playoff-winning goalie in Pittsburgh.
“I want to be here,” Jarry said. “I want to play for this team and I want to do everything to help this team win. There is no better feeling than being able to put the Pittsburgh Penguins sweater on. Every day I get to do it is exciting.”