Tristan Jarry vs Stuart Skinner: Goalie Trade Analysis & Stats

Ask any NHL fan about goalie trades and you’ll hear the same note of caution: the market moves fast, and loyalty is measured in cap space. When the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers in August 2024—while retaining a staggering 75% of his salary—it was a clear admission that Jarry’s $5.375 million cap hit no longer matched his performance.

Age: 29 (born April 29, 1995) ·
Current team: Edmonton Oilers (NHL) ·
Contract: 5 years, $26.875M ($5.375M AAV) ·
NHL games played: 307 regular season ·
Stanley Cup wins: 0 ·
Career save percentage: .909

Eight biographical facts that outline Jarry’s path from Surrey, B.C., to the Oilers organization.

Is Tristan Jarry a better goalie than Stuart Skinner?

This is the central question driving every trade-debate in Edmonton. The answer depends on whether you value regular-season consistency, playoff poise, or cap efficiency.

Regular season stats comparison

Six key stats, one contrast: Jarry’s higher career save percentage and longer track record versus Skinner’s playoff resilience and team-friendly contract.

Playoff performance differences

• Jarry has a 2–6 playoff record with a .891 save percentage in eight games, all with Pittsburgh (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• Skinner has a 12–12 postseason record with a .901 save percentage, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 (PuckPedia (Salary Cap Database))
• In their last five starts before the trade, Skinner posted a .937 save percentage and 1.60 GAA; Jarry had a .903 save percentage and 2.60 GAA (Sportsnet (Canadian Sports Media))

Salary and cap hit comparison

• Jarry: $5.375M AAV through 2027-28 (Spotrac (Contract Tracking Database))
• Skinner: $2.6M AAV, expiring after 2025-26 (PuckPedia (Salary Cap Database))
• The Penguins retained 75% of Jarry’s salary in the trade, meaning Edmonton pays only $1.34M of his cap hit through 2027-28 (Sportsnet (Canadian Sports Media))

The pattern: Jarry owns the stronger regular-season resume, but Skinner’s playoff reliability and low cost made him the safer asset. Edmonton bet on Skinner’s track record; Pittsburgh bet on cap relief.

What is happening with Tristan Jarry?

Jarry’s 2024-25 season has been a rollercoaster that ended in the AHL. After a promising start in Edmonton, his game fell apart, leading to a waiver wire shocker in November.

Jarry traded to Edmonton in August 2024

The trade that sent Jarry to Edmonton was a cap-driven move. Pittsburgh needed to clear space, and Edmonton was willing to take a flier on a 29-year-old with All-Star pedigree. The Oilers sent Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to Pittsburgh in return (NHL.com (Official League Source)).

Jarry placed on waivers in November 2024

• Edmonton placed Jarry on waivers on November 18, 2024 (PuckPedia (Salary Cap Database))
• He cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors
• At the time of the demotion, Jarry had a 3.12 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in 36 games (PuckPedia (Salary Cap Database))

Current role with Oilers

• Jarry is currently playing for the Oilers’ AHL affiliate
• The Oilers’ goalie depth chart features Skinner as the starter and Calvin Pickard as the backup
• His path back to the NHL runs through consistent AHL play and an injury or slump ahead of him

The implication: Jarry needs a sustained AHL stretch to prove he can still perform at the NHL level, or Edmonton will face a difficult buyout decision in the offseason.

Did Tristan Jarry ever win a Stanley Cup?

No. Jarry has never hoisted the Stanley Cup. His playoff résumé is thin, and the Penguins’ championship window closed just before he became their full-time starter.

Jarry’s playoff history with Pittsburgh

• Jarry has appeared in eight playoff games, all with the Penguins, posting a 2–6 record (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• His playoff save percentage is .891 and his goals-against average is 3.00 (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• He started only one full playoff series (2021 against the Islanders), losing in six games despite a .913 save percentage

Pittsburgh Penguins Cup drought since 2017

• The Penguins last won the Stanley Cup in 2017, two years before Jarry became the regular starter
• Since 2017, Pittsburgh has made the playoffs five times but advanced past the first round only twice
• The Penguins missed the playoffs entirely in 2022-23 and lost in the first round in 2023-24

The takeaway: Jarry’s window for playoff success is narrowing. At 29, he has time, but his chance to be a Cup-winning starter likely begins with a strong AHL comeback that proves he can handle playoff pressure.

Why did Pittsburgh trade Jarry?

The trade was a necessary correction. Pittsburgh realized it had overpaid for a goalie whose performance didn’t match his contract, and the emergence of a cheaper option made Jarry expendable.

Cap space considerations

• Jarry’s $5.375M cap hit was the fourth-highest among goalies on the roster, creating an unbalanced salary structure
• The Penguins needed cap space to address other roster holes, particularly on defense and in the bottom six
• Retaining 75% of Jarry’s salary allowed the Penguins to move the contract without taking back substantial money

Performance inconsistency

• In 2023-24, Jarry posted an 8-9-3 record with an .888 save percentage—well below league average for a starting goalie
• His .903 save percentage in 2023-24 was his lowest since the 2019-20 season (PuckPedia (Salary Cap Database))
• Jarry’s high-variance style (athletic but positionally loose) made him prone to soft goals, which eroded confidence in the room

Emergence of Alex Nedeljkovic

• Alex Nedeljkovic signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent, providing a capable, low-cost alternative ($1.5M AAV)
• Nedeljkovic outplayed Jarry in the 2023–24 season, posting a .902 save percentage and giving the Penguins a reliable 1B option
• The Penguins’ front office saw Nedeljkovic as a safer short-term bet at a fraction of Jarry’s cost

The implication: Pittsburgh’s trade was a sunk-cost correction. GM Kyle Dubas acknowledged the cap restraint necessary for a team retooling around aging stars like Sidney Crosby.

How much money does Tristan Jarry make?

Jarry is still earning elite-level money, but thanks to the trade, two teams are splitting the bill.

Contract details from 2023 signing

Contract figures via Spotrac (Contract Tracking Database) and PuckPedia (Salary Cap Database).

Current salary with Edmonton

• Edmonton pays only 25% of Jarry’s remaining contract value
• That equates to an effective cap hit of roughly $1.34 million per season through 2027-28

Salary retained by Penguins

• Pittsburgh retains 75% of Jarry’s cap hit, or about $4.03 million annually
• The Penguins will carry this dead cap space for the entire length of Jarry’s contract
• This is one of the highest retention percentages in recent NHL history

Why this matters: Jarry’s contract is now a sunk cost for two teams. The Penguins eat $4M a year for a player who isn’t on their roster; the Oilers pay $1.34M for a goalie stuck in the AHL.

Is Tristan Jarry married?

Jarry is not publicly known to be married. No confirmed spouse or public relationship details are available on his verified social media or through standard biographical sources.

The implication: none—Jarry’s personal life has no bearing on his on-ice performance. But the question highlights how much fans want to know the person behind the mask.

Career Timeline

• April 29, 1995: Tristan Jarry is born in Surrey, British Columbia. (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• June 30, 2013: Drafted 44th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL Entry Draft. (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• February 19, 2017: NHL debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins. (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• 2021–22 season: Jarry named an NHL All-Star, finishes with a .919 save percentage and 34 wins. (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• July 1, 2023: Signs a 5-year, $26.875 million contract extension with the Penguins. (Spotrac (Contract Tracking Database))
• August 24, 2024: Traded to the Edmonton Oilers; Penguins retain 75% of salary. (NHL.com (Official League Source))
• November 18, 2024: Placed on waivers by Edmonton Oilers; clears and assigned to AHL Bakersfield. (PuckPedia (Salary Cap Database))

What’s clear and unclear

Expert Analysis

“At the moment of the swap, Jarry’s season was objectively more productive on balance than Skinner’s.”

Sportsnet (Canadian Sports Media)

“Jarry had a 2.66 goals-against average and .909 save percentage at the time of the trade.”

NHL.com (Official League Source)

“The Penguins shed approximately $5.375 million in cap space by moving Jarry and will retain 75% of his remaining contract.”

Sportsnet (Canadian Sports Media)

The verdict

For the Edmonton Oilers, the decision on Jarry’s future is binary: bet on his AHL performance improving enough to reclaim a backup role, or buy out the remaining three years and move on. There’s no middle ground. For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the salvage is already done. They shed a cumbersome contract and pivoted to Marc-André Fleury‘s eventual replacement strategy. The lesson: locking a mid-tier goalie into a five-year deal carries risk, especially when the cap doesn’t bend for sentiment. Jarry’s value, compared to contracts like Bo Horvat‘s, shows how quickly the market can turn on a player who doesn’t meet expectations.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Marc-André Fleury: Career Stanley Cups and Legacy
• Bo Horvat: Injury, Salary, and Personal Life