Trade grades: Oilers gamble on Jarry, Penguins make out like bandits

Finally, after months of inactivity, the NHL has some trade movement.

The 14-11-6 Edmonton Oilers completed two deals Friday.

The first: goalie Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round draft pick moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for goalie Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin.

The second: a 2027 third-round pick traded to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Spencer Stastney.

Let's break it all down.

Edmonton Oilers

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman had a pressing issue on his hands.

A goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard is flat-out unacceptable for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations and superstar Connor McDavid under contract for just three more playoff runs. There's a mountain of evidence - 247 regular-season and playoff games in Edmonton for Skinner, 82 for Pickard - to support this claim. Bowman needed to act, and the sooner the better.

Acquiring Jarry of all goalies is an imperfect solution. But one with potential.

On one hand, the 30-year-old is a comparable goalie to Skinner, 27. Both have been given plenty of runway in the NHL, earning reputations for being inconsistent and coughing up soft goals in key moments.

On the other hand, Jarry is quietly enjoying a strong season. His .909 save percentage is well above the .898 league average (and Skinner's .891), and he's recorded a "quality start" in 11 of 13 games, according to Sportlogiq.

More importantly for the leaky Oilers, Jarry's stopping quality scoring chances at a high rate. Edmonton ranks 24th in slot shots against per game; Jarry sits 11th in slot shot SV% among goalies with 10 or more games played. The Oilers are 19th in inner-slot shots against; Jarry's sixth in inner-slot SV%.

Put another way, although Oilers fans are disappointed Bowman didn't reel in a stud goalie, there's a decent chance Jarry's a good fit - if he can stay healthy.

As for the nuances of the two interconnected trades ... oh boy.

Jarry's signed through 2027-28 at a $5.375-million cap hit, while Skinner is a pending unrestricted free agent making $2.6 million. If this swap isn't a net positive, the Oilers are stuck with a Skinner-like goalie and a dicey contract.

The inclusion of Kulak in this trade is significant. Not the flashiest player, Kulak has been a fixer of sorts on Edmonton's blue line for years. Somebody's struggling? Pair him with Kulak, and he'll get back on track. The Oilers included the 31-year-old in the deal for cap reasons. Stastney, the defenseman arriving via Nashville, is not a direct replacement but has upside.

To recap: the Oilers likely upgraded slightly at goalie, probably downgraded a bit on defense, brought in an AHLer in Poulin, and are down two draft picks.

I understand why Bowman pulled the trigger. He was desperate, and we can safely assume Jarry was the lone viable option on the goalie market. Still, there's a vibe of "hold on a second, this is your big move to solve a yearslong goaltending problem?!" Also, I don't like the risk attached to Jarry's contract.

Grade: C-

Pittsburgh Penguins

Just about every fan- and media-created mock trade involving Jarry included the Penguins retaining part of his salary. For the club to rid itself of the veteran's entire contract is a major victory for GM Kyle Dubas.

To not retain and acquire a useful defenseman in Kulak, a comparable goalie with no strings attached beyond this year in Skinner, and a second-rounder?

That's some excellent asset management, especially considering Pittsburgh has three young goalies in Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov, and Joel Blomqvist.

If the Sidney Crosby-led Pens remain in the playoff hunt over the next couple of months, Dubas can take one of three routes with Kulak. He can: keep Kulak for a playoff push, then let the pending UFA walk in free agency; keep Kulak for the push and re-sign him; or flip Kulak before the trade deadline in March.

The flexibility baked into this swap makes it a home run for Pittsburgh. The Penguins now have $9.16 million in projected cap space, according to PuckPedia.

Grade: A

Nashville Predators

Prior to Friday's trade, Nashville had eight defensemen on its NHL roster, five of whom shoot left. Stastney, a lefty, might have been placed on waivers soon. So, instead of losing him for nothing, GM Barry Trotz grabs a pick.

You can quibble with how Nashville found itself in this spot with a 25-year-old third-pairing blue-liner. But I'm fine with the trade, given the Preds should be hoarding as many futures as possible for what should be a full-fledged rebuild.

Grade: B-

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).