This in from the Edmonton Oilers, news that Tristan Jarry will start in net for the team tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, with Trent Frederic back in the line-up after being out with a concussion and Zach Hyman a game-time decision.
Tonight’s projected line-up:
Podkolzin – McDavid – Savoie
Hyman – Nugent-Hopkins – Roslovic
Frederic – Dickinson – Kapanen
Jones – Henrique – Samanski
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Murphy
Walman – Emberson
Jarry
Ingram
goalies
My take
1. When critics of Oilers GM Stan Bowman go after him, they usually bring up a few moves, such as the Andrew Mangiapane signing, the Trent Frederic signing (though Frederic may still make good on that deal), and the Tristan Jarry for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a second round pick trade.
2. That trade could indeed haunt the Oilers if Jarry doesn’t play like an NHL-average goalie. He’s got two more years on his deal that pays $5.375 million a year and if he continues to struggle, Bowman won’t only never hear the end of it, he might just get fired because of it. It’s that big and memorable of a mistake.
That said, if Connor Ingram comes through perhaps the uproar around Jarry’s poor play won’t blot out all Bowman’s other excellent achievements, of which there are several.
3. Jarry had three wins in his first three Oilers games after the trade. All was looking like seashells and balloons. But then he got injured and since coming back he’s had just four good outings in 13 appearances.
Clearly the injury set him back in a major way, but with Ingram playing so well Jarry is now getting plenty of opportunity to work on his game in practice and to iron out the fundamental flaws that had NHL goalie expert Steve Valiquette critiquing him for looking unbalanced in net and not having a high enough battle level on contested shots. There’s also been a loud whispering campaign in Edmonton about Jarry not bearing down enough in practice.
Add it all up and it’s been about as bad a start for Jarry in Edmonton as one could conjure up. That said if Jarry gets hot and puts together a string of seven or eight solid starts, especially in the playoffs, all will likely be quick/y forgiven.
The mood of the fans is written in the sand on the beach, so Jarry just needs a strong tide of solid play to wash away the bad feeling.
4. The Oilers have signed a big centre out of U.S colleges, Owen Michaels. Said prospect writer Corey Pronman of The Athletic of Michaels: “He’s a good-sized center who skates well and works hard at both ends. He’s not the most natural scorer you’ll ever see, but he has enough pure skill and sense in his game to have a chance to get points at the next level and provide off-puck value.”
Said Bob Stauffer of the Oilers: “The Edmonton Oilers have been working on the recruitment of Michaels for a while. A priority for Stan Bowman & Kalle Larsson-Senior Director of Player Development. Michaels was MVP of NCAA Frozen Four in 2025 with Western Michigan. Much needed organizational right-shot centre depth.”
PuckPedia reports: “The Oilers signed undrafted UFA 23 y/o F Owen Michaels to 1 year Entry Level Deal for this season. NHL Salary $935K. Signing Bonus $40K. Cap Hit $1.48M – Adjusted cap hit due to UFA signing 1-year deal with signing bonus… He is not eligible to play in the AHL.”
Michaels
At the Cult of Hockey
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