It’s now been more than a month and a half since the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins made a blockbuster trade that saw the teams swap starting goaltenders.
Related: Stuart Skinner’s Top 8 Games With the Edmonton Oilers
On Dec. 12, the Oilers sent netminder Stuart Skinner, along with defenceman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round draft pick, to Pittsburgh in exchange for goalie Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin.
Breaking Down the Skinner for Jarry Swap
In many respects, going from Skinner to Jarry seemed like a lateral move. They’re both experienced (Skinner is in his 6th NHL season, Jarry is in his 10th NHL campaign) and in their prime (Skinner is age 27, Jarry is 30 years old), with almost identical numbers: at the time of the trade, both had an NHL career goals-against average (GAA) of 2.74, while Jarry held a slight edge in save percentage (SV%), at .909 compared to .904 from Skinner.
Proponents of the trade from an Oilers perspective believe that Jarry has greater ability and plays with more consistency than Skinner. On the flip side, Jarry has yet to advance past the first round of the playoffs while Skinner has been part of back-to-back Western Conference championship triumphs.
Ultimately, it was seen as a deal that could be a win-win. Jarry and Skinner had both gone through ups and downs and faced criticism in their respective markets, and perhaps a change of scenery was all they needed.
By and large, that appears to be the case. Jarry and Skinner have each settled nicely into their new surroundings, and both Edmonton and Pittsburgh appear to be quite happy with their new netminder.
Most importantly, they each have a tremendous record since the trade: Jarry is 6-2-1 with the Oilers, while Skinner is 7-4-0 as a Penguin. But there are some very interesting statistics since the trade that warrant a look.
Jarry and Skinner Have Similar Numbers
In his nine appearances for the Oilers, Jarry has a GAA of 3.23 and a SV% of .884. Prior to the trade, Skinner had a 2.83 GAA and a .891 SV% with Edmonton.
Tristan Jarry, Edmonton Oilers (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)
Through his first 11 games with the Penguins, Skinner has a 2.31 GAA and a .906 SV%. Before he was dealt to Edmonton, Jarry had a 2.66 GAA and a .909 SV% for Pittsburgh.
Skinner holds the edge in GAA, but the two goalies are very close in their SV% with each respective team. It’s even more notable that both netminders have significantly better numbers with the Penguins than they do with Edmonton.
Edmonton is also providing more scoring support for Jarry than it did for Skinner. In games that Jarry has played for the Oilers, they’re averaging 4.44 goals. In Skinner’s 23 starts for Edmonton this season, the Oilers averaged 3.17 goals.
Taking all that into consideration, it’s fair to wonder if Edmonton’s goals-against totals have more to do with system, structure, and the play of its skaters than it does with the man between the pipes.
Oilers Hope Jarry Backstops Them to a Championship
Thus far, Oil Country seems to have greater confidence in Jarry. Despite allowing at least four goals in half his starts as an Oiler, the 30-year-old isn’t giving up many bad goals and is making timely saves, which are two things that couldn’t always be said for Skinner.
So, are the Oilers better off with Jarry than they were with Skinner? That can’t be fairly answered until the postseason. Skinner was the No. 1 netminder for a team that made consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final. The question now is, can Jarry not only help the Oilers get back to the championship round, but this time get them over the hump?
Jarry and the Oilers are back in action, going for a third consecutive win, when they host the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Place on Thursday (Jan. 29).
