PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pens GM Kyle Dubas said teams have been calling him about players. The assumption is the talk is about acquiring Jake Guentzel, maybe a bottom line forward. But with Guentzel injured and about to be a free agent, there is someone else with increasing value.
What about moving goalie Tristan Jarry?
It's not that Jarry doesn't have value to his current team. He signed to a five-year, $26.875 million contract this offseason to be part of a team that competes for a Stanley Cup, it just hasn't worked out for the team to date.
Among the key points from Dubas' meeting with reporters this week is that he wants to get younger. Jarry isn't old at 28, especially for a goalie, but he might fetch a few younger players who would be either in the league or league ready.
Jarry has had a really good to sometimes great season. After Sidney Crosby, the eight-year Penguin is probably the team MVP. He leads the league in shutouts with six. He's seventh in the NHL in goals against average (2.46) and save percentage (.916). Jarry would also bring stability from a financial situation. If he continues to perform that way, he would be a bargain. Jarry is 12th in the NHL in salary among goaltenders and carries the same cap hit of $5.375 million through the 2027-28 year.
You might see it as giving up on the season, but you know who has a .915 save percentage in the NHL this season, Jarry's back-up Alex Nedeljkovic.
Also 28-years-old, Nedeljkovic is signed for this season at $2.5 million. The numbers have been good and there are intangibles the team likes about him. For example, accountability. Even though there was much to point to in the loss to the Islanders, Nedeljkovic put the heat on himself saying he soiled the bed and that's why the team lost Tuesday. He's a likeable teammate and probably good as a mentor.
That brings up the other point, trading Jarry allows an opportunity to bring up your best prospect.
22-year-old goalie Joel Blomqvist has 16 of Wilkes Barre Scranton's 26 wins on the season. His goals against average of 2.17 is fourth in the entire American Hockey League and his faced the second most shots of any goalie in the top 13. Blomqvist's save percentage is .918.
Blomqvist also comes with a cheap salary. He has a $886,667 cap hit this year and for the next two seasons. It may be the best contract Ron Hextall ever negotiated, getting this deal done with the 2020 second-round pick. While he doesn't own a shutout this season, he's had 16 games where he has only allowed one goal. Blomqvist hasn't given up more than 3 goals in a game since early December.
Blomqvist's back-up in Wilkes-Barre is Magnus Hellberg. He was recently called up because of fear of illness in the Pens goalie room. The 32-year-old veteran said of Blomqvist.
"Big steps, I think he's a really great guy and great goaltender," Hellberg said. "He got a receipt for that when he went to the AHL All-Star Game. I think he carries himself really well down there. He has a bright future."
Why not start that future now?
There are a few contending teams in need of a goalie upgrade, most notably the Devils. While trading within the division isn't ideal, they might get desperate.
It's win-now time for Edmonton and they currently have a team 2.94 goals-against-average and .901 save percentage.
Alex Lyon has been hot and cold for a resurgent Detroit franchise. Lyon has given up four goals winning his last two games, but previously gave up 11 in losing two straight. Would they be in the mix for a veteran?
If you are looking for potential impact without throwing away the season, this is a move Dubas and the Pens can make. They beauty of it is they don't have to do it, often that is when you get the best return.
