Tristan Jarry wanted to go to Edmonton before Oilers traded for him: report

Being traded is always a strange situation for a professional athlete, but it sounds as though Tristan Jarry was genuinely thrilled to join the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers finally addressed their goaltending situation late last week, sending Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.

Much like it was for Skinner in Edmonton, Jarry’s time in Pittsburgh had been up in the air for a while. The 30-year-old was placed on waivers last season and was even discussed as a potential buyout candidate heading into the summer.

Ultimately, the Penguins chose to hold onto Jarry, who has bounced back in 2025-26. Still, Jarry reportedly felt a deal was on the horizon and made it known to the Penguins brass that he would love to go to the Oilers.

“The thing about Jarry is, Jarry has made noise for some time, privately, I heard. I heard this after the trade,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “When you’re on waivers the year before, you know you don’t have a long-term run in an organization.

“I think Jarry knew that whether it was then or now, he was not going to be a long-term Penguin. I heard he was proactive, and I heard in the Penguins organization, they knew that if they could send him somewhere, he would love to go to Edmonton.”

Jarry, who is from Surrey, spent four seasons playing with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL. He continues to spend his summers in Edmonton, purchasing a home just outside the city years ago.

“My time playing there with Oil Kings, I enjoyed it so much. I have a lot of friends there, and I kind of grew up there a little bit,” Jarry told Oilers reporters. “So when I had the opportunity to buy a home, that was where I decided to set roots.”

Jarry has since made one start with the Oilers, where he was able to kick aside 25 of the 28 shots he faced in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He will be facing his former team, including Skinner and Kulak, on Tuesday night at the PPG Paints Arena.

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