PITTSBURGH — For the first time in NHL history, goalies that were involved in the same trade faced one another within seven days of the deal.
Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner, traded for one another just five days ago, starred against their former teams as Edmonton defeated Pittsburgh 6-4 on Tuesday night.
“I thought both goalies handled themselves well,” said Connor McDavid, who scored twice and had a four-point game. “It was a unique situation and probably a strange night for both guys.”
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On Friday, the Oilers dealt Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jarry and forward Sam Poulin. Both goaltenders were unable to have new masks ready in time for Tuesday’s game. Jarry wore blue goalie pads and his Penguins’ mask, while Skinner had white and gold pads and his old Oilers’ mask.
“We should’ve switched masks,” Skinner said. “I feel like the mask takes the longest because you have to get a paint job. It would’ve been funny if we saw each other in warm-ups at the red line and changed helmets.”
The Penguins honored Jarry during the first television timeout on Tuesday. Fans applauded as Jarry waved his stick to the crowd, tapped his chest and held his glove in the air. The home crowd also took to their new goaltender with deep chants of “Stu” after each save early in the game.
“I saw a couple signs out there and somebody had a picture of my face,” Skinner said. “It was a great welcome. I really appreciate it from the fans.”
The two-time Western Conference champions acquired Jarry from the Penguins in the hopes of shoring up a position that has cost them during their deep playoff runs in recent years. Jarry stopped 25 shots during his Oilers’ debut against Toronto on Saturday and he made 26 saves on Tuesday. Skinner stopped 17 shots in his Penguins’ debut Tuesday, after he and Kulak spent the weekend settling the immigration process.
“It’s odd, just the whole situation of how quickly we played them after the trade happened,” said Leon Draisaitl, who finished with four assists and reached 1,000 career points. “I’m sure there are lots of people who felt odd about it.”
Skinner, a 2017 third-round pick who has the fifth-most wins in Oilers’ history, helped Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons. Pittsburgh also has a deep prospect pool in goal, led by 21-year-old Sergei Murashov, in addition to 23-year-old Joel Blomqvist and 24-year-old Arturs Silovs, the backup to Skinner on Tuesday.
The Oilers’ problems in goal have played a role in keeping McDavid and Draisaitl and company from getting over the hump and winning the Stanley Cup, particularly in the last two seasons against Florida.
“Those guys were a big part of this group the last number of years,” McDavid said. “It’s strange to see him in the other net.”
Jarry, a two-time All-Star with Pittsburgh, starred for the Edmonton Oil Kings in junior hockey. He signed a five-year contract with Pittsburgh in 2023, but struggled so badly last season that the Penguins demoted him to their minor league affiliate. The 30-year-old Jarry bounced back under first-year Penguins’ coach Dan Muse, starting the season 9-3-1 with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
“I’m sure they’re both excited to get this out of the way,” McDavid said. “I’m happy we came in here and won the game for [Jarry]. Now, we can look ahead.”
