When Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was placed on waivers last January, it felt like his Penguins’ tenure was over.
He was really struggling, fresh off back-to-back performances with an .824 save percentage. Overall, he had an 8-8-4 record with an .886 save percentage and a 3.31 goals-against average. The Penguins reached their breaking point and waived him before he was sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as no team claimed him on waivers.
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Jarry was down in WBS for almost two full months before he was recalled in early March due to Joel Blomqvist struggling in the NHL. This was Jarry’s second stint in WBS after he was sent down on a conditioning loan last October.
After Jarry got called back up, he played better in March, finishing the month with a .907 save percentage. He played in nine games and finished with at least a .903 save percentage in six of those games. He even won his first four starts to open the month before earning a shutout against the Ottawa Senators in his final start of March.
Jarry appeared in five games in April, finishing with an .898 save percentage for the month. He won three of his five starts that month and had at least a .903 save percentage in three starts. Jarry looked more confident, was more aggressive in challenging shooters, and was much calmer and composed in the crease. The stakes were low since the Penguins were well out of the playoff race by the end of the season, but he at least played well.
Fast forward to the first two months of the 2025-26 season, and he has been the best goaltender on the team. He is 8-2-0 with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Jarry has also saved 8.2 goals above expected, which is 17th among all goaltenders in the NHL.
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He made his first start of this season against the New York Islanders, and despite a shaky moment or two, he was lights out, especially in the third period when the Islanders were pushing for the tying goal. He made a lot of saves in tight situations towards the end of the game. He carried that momentum for the rest of the month, winning four of his next five starts.
Nov 28, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) celebrates on the ice after his team’s win against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the overtime period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Jarry got hurt during the Nov. 3 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs when the Penguins melted down in the third period and coughed up a 3-0 lead. He missed the next three weeks before returning last Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres and hasn’t missed a beat, winning three of his last four starts.
Penguins head coach Dan Muse has started to move slightly away from the goalie rotation he had in place due to Jarry’s strong play. It also has something to do with Arturs Silovs not playing well in his last couple of starts. Still, Jarry has made many timely saves for the Penguins this season and continues to ooze confidence. He’s also still at the top of the crease, playing aggressive and challenging shooters.
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The biggest question will be whether he can keep this up for a full season. If you look at Jarry’s career splits, he has posted save percentages between .911 and .920 from October to December. Still, once the calendar flips to January and continues through the rest of the season, his save percentage has been between .897 and .905.
If Jarry can stay consistent, he’ll help keep the Penguins in the playoff race, something that almost nobody thought they’d be in this season. He’d also continue to boost his value since the Penguins have a surplus of goaltenders. Kevin Weekes tweeted last week that Jarry is among the goaltenders drawing trade interest as an option for the Edmonton Oilers, who have gotten rotten goaltending from Stuart Skinner and Cal Pickard to start the season. It’s a significant reason why they’re not in a playoff spot right now, just one season after losing in the Stanley Cup Final again.
Let’s see what the rest of the season brings for the former 2013 second-round pick.
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