DALLAS — We’re getting to the point in the NHL season when rumors start to fly.

Tristan Jarry is supposed to be between the pipes for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, right?

So, let’s clear some things up and start with Jarry.

No, the Penguins goaltender won’t be playing for the Oilers on Tuesday. Are the Oilers interested in him? Sure. Why wouldn’t they be? Good goaltending is scarce, and especially so in Alberta. Penguins sources told me that Edmonton has inquired about Jarry, who has rebounded from last season’s roller coaster. However, Jarry is on one of his upswings right now, and when that happens, you want him on your team.

The Penguins are in a fascinating spot. Winning changes things. Still, team president/general manager Kyle Dubas is prioritizing the future and is focused on building a special team for the long term. Eighteen-year-old forward Ben Kindel is just the beginning. Twenty-one-year-old goalie Sergei Murashov, 18-year-old forward Will Horcoff and so many others are on the way. Dubas wants to build a team that is a powerhouse long after Sidney Crosby has skated into the sunset. So, don’t expect Dubas to trade any significant future assets for short-term gratification this spring. He could trade a fourth-round pick for a depth piece, for example, but the Penguins aren’t going big-game hunting.

With the Penguins in playoff position, their new short-term gratification might well come from holding onto players who otherwise would’ve been traded. Dubas’ priority is the future, and that won’t change. He’s also an extreme competitor. Dubas loves his team’s standing and is deeply invested in its success. He and the Penguins don’t believe in tanking. They want to prioritize the future while simultaneously playing strong hockey.

Is the Penguins front office surprised by how well the team has played this season? I sense the answer is yes. But I also don’t sense they believe it’s a fluke.

So, if the Penguins keep winning, I’d be surprised if Jarry, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell or Erik Karlsson are traded this season. Those players can always be dealt next summer, especially if they continue to play like they have this season. Jarry’s case is fascinating because, for a couple of years, the Penguins would have loved to have unloaded his contract. Now, amazingly, he’s one of the Penguins’ most valuable contributors.

At this point, none of those players is unmovable, but the return would have to be outrageous.

Dubas is not going to do anything that will hurt his future, but he’s also not going to do anything that will hurt his team’s chances of making the postseason this season.

We talk a lot about Kindel, Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen learning from Crosby and other Penguins veterans. Can you imagine how much they would learn if they all played in a playoff series with Crosby? Some things are more important than compiling future assets.

Kindel not playing World Juniors

I reported this on Sunday, but it’s worth repeating.

Kindel is not going to play at the World Juniors for Team Canada later this month. A report Sunday suggested Kindel would be playing for Team Canada, and many Penguins fans were rather incensed to hear it.

It’s not true. Several people in the Penguins organization told me Sunday that Kindel, because he’s so important to the Penguins, will not be loaned to Team Canada for a few weeks. Not a chance. Kindel has emerged as one of the Penguins’ best players. He’s their No. 3 center and is thriving on the top power play. He’s also one of their better defenders.

If he went to the tournament, Kindel would miss at least five Penguins games, including games against teams the Penguins are fighting for playoff positioning. They have two games against the Detroit Red Wings, one against the Columbus Blue Jackets and one against the Carolina Hurricanes. And, of course, there’s the injury risk.

The Penguins believe Kindel is getting his hockey education every day in the NHL. He doesn’t need a tournament against other players his age to find more growth.

Brunicke playing World Juniors

Harrison Brunicke, of course, is a completely different story. The 19-year-old made the Penguins roster out of training camp and looked good in his first couple of appearances. Then, his performance dipped badly.

He just had a stint in Wilkes-Barre, a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement that let him play in the AHL for a couple of weeks.

The Penguins are sending him to play for Team Canada at the World Juniors. The move will become official at some point this week. Brunicke needs to play, and the Penguins believe this will be a good experience for him.

No decision has been made about Brunicke’s NHL standing for the remainder of the season. But for now, he’ll play for Canada.

The case for Hayes

It’s easy to watch Kevin Hayes play and conclude he’s too slow and overpaid.

You can form your own opinions on that. He’s obviously not the player he was five years ago, though he’s been fine this season.

I will say this: He’s wildly popular in the dressing room, and there’s something to be said for that. Multiple players have told me he raises the room when it’s down and that he has become a very important personality on this team. He also doesn’t pout if he’s not in the lineup or if his role is reduced.

More notes

• I don’t believe Evgeni Malkin is dealing with a serious injury. The Penguins implied Saturday that he would be OK to play Sunday. That obviously wasn’t the case, but I suspect we’ll see him back in the lineup at some point this week.

• Boko Imama was sent to Wilkes-Barre over the weekend, but you’ll be seeing him in Pittsburgh again before too much longer. Players and coaches I spoke to think Imama has greatly improved over the past year, and the toughness he brings goes without saying. He’ll be making sporadic appearances in Pittsburgh all season.