CALGARY — I have received so many questions about Tristan Jarry and the goaltenders that I felt compelled to move them back to Part 2 of the mailbag (Part 1 is here) because they were a little overwhelming.
But I get it.
The Penguins are a goal-prevention mess. While their defense has been generally horrific in the season’s first two weeks, the dominant storyline has been Jarry, who has gone from No. 1 goaltender on opening night to giving away the net to a rookie in two straight stars, to getting pulled in his third start, to being a healthy scratch.
It’s been quite a rollercoaster. Away we go.
Can you envision a scenario where the Penguins move Jarry? How would it look? — @i_amkoryb
Anything is possible. See Scuderi, Rob.
That said, I don’t think Jarry’s contract is moveable. If he finds his game, rebounds and puts together a decent season? Maybe then. I just don’t see it.
The good news is that the salary cap is expected to skyrocket in the next few years, so perhaps teams will be interested in taking chances on higher-priced players. And we know many teams crave good — or decent — goaltending these days. See Avalanche, Colorado.
Ultimately, Jarry is tradeable because everyone is, but I don’t know that he would be tradeable on the Penguins’ terms. GM Kyle Dubas doesn’t want to trade draft picks. He doesn’t want to trade prospects. Those are sweeteners that I have to think would be mandatory if a team absorbed Jarry’s contract.
Maybe you could trade him for another player with a bad contract. But wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?
Jarry to minors? — @JamMasterJim
Perhaps we aren’t to that point, but I don’t think it’s the worst idea. He could work on his game. If he didn’t clear waivers, well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Penguins.
If he’s not going to help the Penguins win in his current form, I think it’s a reasonable tactic.
How long can Jarry still have a job in the NHL? I mean, he can’t be serious, can he? — @pensmufc
He’s been bad, obviously. But he does have something of a pedigree, albeit an uneven one. His career is on the line right now.
Does Jarry have the mentality and fire to be a premier NHL goalie? — @iversen_ryan
People ask me this question quite often. On the surface, the answer seems to be no. Jarry is laid-back, which sometimes becomes evident on the ice — and not in a good way. Remember last week, when he turned the puck over to Buffalo’s Tage Thompson behind the net, then slowly made his way back to the crease before being beaten? Yeah, bad look. No question.
But people close to him will tell you he passionately cares. I believe that. He just has lapses in concentration. His problems are all between the ears. His physical talent is superb.
With this being Marc-Andre Fleury’s final year…what happens if he had been part of the Pens’ core four? — @1RippleRD
Well, part of Fleury’s legacy is that the Penguins chose Matt Murray over him in 2017.
How did that change Penguins history? It didn’t help. Would the Penguins have another Cup win if he stayed? Impossible to say. If the Penguins had the 2018 version of Fleury we saw in Vegas, they would’ve won the Cup that year, giving them three in a row. But we don’t know how the new atmosphere changed him.
I asked Fleury during that season how he was putting up such strong numbers on an expansion team. His response: “Well, you know, I’m not in Pittsburgh anymore, so I don’t see breakaways and two-on-ones all game.”
When Blake Lizotte comes back, who comes out? — @D_Bischoff
Those things tend to work out themselves. Maybe someone will be hurt. Otherwise, I don’t think Valtteri Puustinen is a lock to stay in the lineup. It’s an interesting call because the bottom six has been good. Anthony Beauvillier would be the most likely to depart the lineup, I’d think.
I like Lizotte. He’s got some skill. I think he can help their bottom six.
We’re only a few games in, Josh. Great time to overreact. On the bight side, sure looks like Rickard Rakell and Jesse Puljujärvi could be bright spots among the forwards, but Michael Bunting so far has been quite quiet. What say you? — @TheConfluence
Bunting has been far, far too quiet, as evidenced by his being a healthy scratch on Sunday against the Jets. I think he’ll be fine. I know the coaching staff really likes him. They clearly just think he needs to be better, which is fair. He’s not talented enough to get by on talent.
Puljujarvi has been very good. Rakell? Even better than very good. That’s encouraging. He helps them now, and if he keeps playing at this level, his contract might become moveable next summer, which would really help them with their salary cap situation.
Have you ever heard anyone say that they hope Ovechkin doesn’t break Gretzky’s goal record? — @neilbrown
I have not. Not everyone loves Ovechkin. He’s polarizing, and some people in the Penguins’ locker room haven’t viewed him fondly over the years. But I’m not aware of anyone actively rooting against it.
How many times have you honked your horn in this calendar year? — @DHunt_
I think I did one time on a highway because a person cut me off and was staring at his phone the whole time. That annoyed me.
But I’m not a horn-honker at all. Never have been. I think people do it far too often, to the point that it loses its impact. It’s my least favorite thing about New York City: the constant horn-honking.
I’m nonconfrontational, so I do it only if I’m really mad or in some kind of danger.
Where do you see your career progressing to in the next 5-10 years? Did you ever have any aspirations on a national level of coverage or do you prefer to stick exclusively to the Penguins? — @iversen_ryan
If The Athletic presented me with an opportunity to be more of a national writer, I’d listen. Money talks, and I have kids to take care of. And who wouldn’t want that kind of platform?
But to be honest, covering Pittsburgh sports was always my dream when I was a kid, and I’m getting to live my dream every day. So, I really have no complaints and am very happy with my job.
What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream made by which producer? — @PC_Coms
I’m a huge chocolate chip cookie dough guy. And Millie’s is my favorite ice cream place in Pittsburgh. I couldn’t possibly recommend it more.
Thanks for reading, everyone. Plenty of coverage is still to come during this Western Canada voyage. And don’t forget, Fleury and the Minnesota Wild are in town next Tuesday. Don’t miss that one if you can afford tickets. It will be MAF’s last appearance as a player in Pittsburgh. He’s a giant in Penguins history, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and loves Pittsburgh dearly. It will be a special night at PPG.
(Photo of Tristan Jarry: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
