Just when I was just about convinced of a deal wouldn’t to happen…
…Kyle Dubas finally pulled the trigger on a highly rumored trade. Tristan Jarry and former first-round pick Sam Poulin going to the Oilers in exchange for a goalie Stuart Skinnerdefender Brett Ear and a second-round pick in the 2029 Entry Draft.
My first reaction? A win-win, all the way around.
Jarry has done the yeoman’s work to revive a career that for all intents and purposes seemed to be in the dumpster when he was fired last season. Other than last night’s lackluster performance against the Canadiens, I thought he played exceptionally well this season, especially since coming off IR in late November.
But aside from last season, he has a well-documented history of fading in the second half.
As for Skinner, he has been just as erratic over the course of his six-season NHL career. The rangy (6’4″ 215) 27-year-old currently has a save percentage of 0.891 and a 2.83 goals against average, which goes along with a quality start percentage of 0.435. For comparison, Jarry’s numbers are 0.909, 2.66 and 0.615 respectively.
Ironically, both have All-Star game appearances on their resumes.
The beauty of the Pens lies at the end of the contract. We’ve put the last two seasons of Jarry’s annual $5,375 hit behind us. Skinner, on the other hand, is in the final season of a deal that pays him a manageable $2.6 million.
The deal also opens the door to netminding prospects Joel Blomqvist And Sergei Murashovthe latter is widely regarded as a star in the making. When they are ready to be promoted, there will be no one blocking their path.
As for the other players involved? Kulak is a serviceable, 31-year-old left defender. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 192 pounds. He’s not overtly physical, but he will engage around the net. Even though he wasn’t known for his fouls, he still scored a career-high seven goals and a career-high 25 points last season. Decent enough results.
With a cap hit of $2.75 million, Kulak is also a pending UFA.
Of the four players exchanging uniforms, I might be the happiest for Poulin. His slower, heavier game never seemed to fit the Pens’ speed-oriented style, especially down low Mike Sullivan. I hope Sam gets a real opportunity with the Oilers, instead of yo-yoing between the bigs and the AHL.
As for the second-round pick? Gravy on top of the turkey.
So what does this mean for the near future and our play-off ambitions? With his 9-3-1 record, Jarry was one of the rocks upon which our strong start was built. A tandem of Skinner and Arthur Silovwhich has deteriorated over the past month does not necessarily inspire much confidence.
Still, trading Jarry was the right move. Kudos to Dubas for having the brass, not to mention the common sense, to act while the iron was hot.
Dumba on exemptions
To make room for Kulak, the Pens added an experienced defenseman Matt Duma on exemptions.
To be honest, I had vague hopes that the hard-hitting 31-year-old veteran would rediscover the 10-goal, 40-point form of his early career. Especially after a strong training camp.
Unfortunately, he never seemed to work with any of his partners while earning a minus-five in limited service.
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