There was a blockbuster trade made on Friday between the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins that literally rocked the hockey world. The Oilers and Penguins have swapped goaltenders. Edmonton needed to give up a lot more to get their new netminder than Pittsburgh did.
Who did the Oilers receive?
The Oilers received two-time National Hockey League All-Star Tristan Jarry of Surrey, British Columbia. Jarry is joining his second NHL franchise after 10 seasons with the Penguins. In 2025-26, Jarry has a record of nine wins, three regulation losses and one loss in extra time, with a goals against average of 2.66 and a save percentage of .909. Jarry also has one shutout this season, which came in a 3-0 Penguins win over the San Jose Sharks on October 18.
Jarry is a two-time NHL All-Star with the Penguins. He was first honoured in 2019-20, and then honoured again in 2021-22. Then in the 2023-24 season, Jarry led the NHL with six shutouts.
The Oilers also received forward Samuel Poulin. He will be sent down to Bakersfield.
Who did the Penguins receive?
Pittsburgh received goaltender Stuart Skinner of Edmonton, Alberta, defenseman Brett Kulak of Edmonton, and a second round pick in the 2029 NHL Entry Draft.
Skinner has spent the last six seasons with the Oilers and was an All-Star in 2022-23. This season, he had a record of 11 wins, eight regulation losses, and four losses in extra time. Skinner had a goals against average of 2.83, save percentage of .891, and two shutouts. The shutouts came in a 2-0 Oilers win over the New York Rangers on October 14 and in a 4-0 Oilers win over the Seattle Kraken on November 29.
Kulak is joining his fourth NHL team after four seasons each with the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens and five seasons with the Oilers. In 31 games this season, Kulak has two assists for two points. He is a -7 with 10 penalty minutes, 33 shots on goal, 38 blocked shots, four hits, five takeaways, and 18 giveaways.
Oilers make another trade
To fill the void of Kulak, the Oilers acquired defenseman Spencer Stastney of Woodbridge, Illinois from the Nashville Predators for a third round pick in 2027. In 2025-26, Stastney has one goal and eight assists for nine points.
Trade Grade
The big question in Oilerland is if Jarry is that much better than Skinner? The answer is no. However, after two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals where Stuart Skinner was outplayed by Sergei Bobrovsky, there was a genuine feeling that the Oilers just needed a different goaltender for a deep playoff run.
Did the Oilers give up too much for Jarry? The answer is yes. That is why they only get a trade grade of C. However, after Jarry’s great start to the season, one may wonder from the Penguins perspective why they gave up on Jarry for Skinner. That is why the Penguins only get a trade grade of C too.
