PITTSBURGH — The Penguins have come to a crossroads with goaltender Tristan Jarry. He can be an unrestricted free agent in July. I'm inclined to move on and pursue Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson, a Pittsburgh native, even if it means trading Jake Guentzel or Bryan Rust.
But first, Jarry. Here's what I like most about him: His talent, and his regular season record of 117-60-20. The Penguins have won way more often than they've lost with Jarry in goal — at least in the regular season, which brings us to ...
What I like least about Jarry: His injuries, his disastrous playoff resume and his alarming postseason comments the other day.
We're not talking about a 23-year-old here. Jarry turns 28 in nine days. He is 2-6 in his playoff career. He literally handed the Islanders a series two years ago. He was injured last season but scored some points by returning to play with a broken foot in Game 7 against the Rangers (in which he allowed the tying goal late in regulation and the losing goal early in overtime).
So I'll grant you, there is not a huge Jarry playoff sample size, partly because he couldn't get his team to the playoffs this season. Another team might view him as a worthwhile, Linus Ullmark-type gamble in free agency. By that, I mean a talented late-20s type who could thrive with a defensive-minded team — and a team that believes its training staff could do a better job of keeping him healthy, as the Bruins believed (and succeeded) with Ullmark.
Jarry told the world after the regular season finale in Columbus that he was "playing with a lot of injuries, playing through a lot" this season.
He added, "So it was tough. It's tough to get practices and tough to get consistent game play."
And finally the money line: "I'm still dealing with a lot."
OK, so if that's the case, WHY ARE YOU PLAYING IN A MEANINGLESS GAME AGAINST THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS?
I'm all for players reporting major injuries after a season, but in this case, given that Jarry said no surgery is forthcoming, I would imagine all anyone wanted to hear was something along these lines: "I simply wasn't good enough this season. I have to be better."
As to why Jarry was playing a meaningless game if he was "still dealing with a lot," that's a better question for coach Mike Sullivan, who is a Jarry backer, calling him a "top-tier NHL goalie." Sullivan has been talking in analytics lately — not that there's anything wrong with that — defending his underachieving power play by pointing out that it ranked highly in "expected goals." So he probably knows that Jarry finished below Casey DeSmith and 28th in the NHL in "goals saved above expected per 60 minutes," four spots above a man named Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
(Those numbers also show Gibson to have been worse than Jarry in multiple categories, but I would argue there were mitigating circumstances; more in a moment.)
Sullivan is the most powerful man in the Penguins organization, and you wonder if he'll remain as such even when a new general manager is hired. His comments lead me to believe the club will make a push to sign Jarry, especially when you consider it's a light free agent market.
I'm not totally against bringing Jarry back, but only on several conditions:
— If it's clear that Gibson (who has a limited no-trade clause) is not attainable or that the price for him or another bona fide veteran is too high.
— I wouldn't go past one or two years at around $4 million per year.
— I'd have to bring in a reliable veteran with No. 1 experience to pair with Jarry. You can't possibly come back with him and DeSmith again (although Ron Hextall probably would).
Jarry's talent is enough to keep me curious. The Penguins would need to determine if any of his various injuries are "chronic," as Daily Faceoff reported in February, referring to a hip issue. If he's cleared, and if all those other conditions are in play, I make a minimal offer. In other words, an offer Jarry could and probably would refuse. The light free agent market probably has him thinking somebody will give him a good contract, and he's probably right. It might be the Penguins if Sullivan has his way.
Meantime, I'm going all in on Gibson. His numbers have not been great in recent years, but his team has fallen to the very bottom of the league. The Ducks this season set the NHL record for most shots allowed. That has to skew the numbers, right?
If his game against the Penguins was any indication of Gibson's performance, his numbers don't matter. He went full Dominik Hasek that night, stopping 53 shots, and still lost 6-3.
Gibson, unlike Jarry, has a certain gravitas. He's a franchise goalie. The last time the Ducks were good was 2017-18, and Gibson went 31-18-7 with a .926 save percentage. He has been under constant assault since then but has been a workhorse, starting between 50 and 60 games in full seasons.
The 29-year-old Gibson carries a hefty cap hit of $6.4 million over the next four years, which pretty much fits into the Penguins' perceived window (whether you believe its still open or not). One wonders if he would believe this is a place for him to finally win. He might not.
Parting with the likes or Guentzel or Rust would be plenty painful. Both have a special place in Penguins lore, but Rust has underachieved on his contract, and Guentzel has just one year left on his. He would need to be signed to an expensive long-term deal as he enters his 30s.
You have to give something to get something. The Penguins need a dependable player at the most important position on the ice.
