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Breaking Down What’s Next for Waived Penguins Goalie

Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins have waived their starting goalie, what's next?

Jacob Punturi

Dec 28, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) reacts during the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) reacts during the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The Pittsburgh Penguins made the difficult but necessary choice to waive former starting goaltender Tristan Jarry. Following another poor first half of the season and a failure to rebound from his 2024 second-half meltdown, the team had very little options for their 29-year-old netminder.

The 24-hour window for the other NHL teams to claim the Penguins' goaltender has come and gone, and now Jarry will be sent to the organizations' American Hockey League affiliate. While the move removes him from the NHL roster, the story of Jarry's time in Pittsburgh is far from over. Let's take a look at what all comes next now that he's been sent to the AHL.

The first thing that most people are thinking of is that huge extension he signed in the summer of 2023. One of the first moves current general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas made with the team was signing Jarry to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $5.375 million.

The good news is that the Penguins get some relief by assigning him to the AHL. The bad news is that they can't remove the entirety of his cap hit by waiving him. The team will carry $4.225 of his salary cap hit while he remains in the AHL. Every bit helps when heading into the NHL Trade Deadline, but $5 million in space would be much better than $1.15 million.

The even worse news is that the Penguins remain on the hook for paying Jarry through the 2027-2028. The organization shot themselves in the foot with this deal, giving him a modified no-trade clause. In order to clear this contract, it would have to satisfy that clause, and that doesn't even get into what the return would be for one of the worst contracts in the NHL.

The other question is what happens to Jarry within the organization? The simple answer is that he heads to the AHL to try and earn another shot in the NHL. Dubas said that the vet will need to work his way back to the NHL lineup, but he might find that harder than he'd hopes. He'll have to split time with AHL goaltender Filip Larsson, who has been sensational for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He may prevent Jarry from getting the crease, and Larsson's play may put even more pressure on Jarry to perform.

The Penguins in the meantime will turn to young net minder Joel Blomqvist to tandem with Alex Nedeljkovic. Blomqvist has a shot to become a starter in due time, as Nedeljkovic has struggled to match his performance last season.

It all leaves Jarry staring down a long road back to being the starter in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, but it's not a done deal. He'll remain with their AHL team and could earn another chance, but it could also be the end of the line for Jarry's days in the NHL.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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