With Jarry Back, Goaltending Decisions Loom Large For Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ goaltending situation has been a hot-button topic since the onset of the 2024-25 season.

And things are about to get even more interesting.

On Saturday, the Penguins activated goaltender Tristan Jarry from his 14-day AHL conditioning stint, and they sent forward Matt Nieto on a conditioning stint subsequently.

For now, at least, it appears the Penguins will – once again – carry three goaltenders in Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Joel Blomqvist. With forward Cody Glass on injured reserve and Nieto on the conditioning stint, it affords them a little bit more time – 14 days maximum – to get a feel for the goaltending situation moving forward.

But, when that 14-day conditioning stint for Nieto is over, the Penguins will have some difficult decisions to make. They can’t keep three goaltenders forever, and head coach Mike Sullivan knows it won’t be easy when the time comes to make those decisions.

“They’re always tough,” Sullivan said. “They’re always tough. These guys are all terrific people, they care a lot, they want to play. It will be our job to try to put the guy in there that’s going to give us the best chance to win, but we have faith in all these guys. They’re all quality goaltenders.”

The assumption for many was that rookie netminder Blomqvist was going to be optioned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton once Jarry was activated. However, after a stellar 32-save, 4-2 win on Friday against the playoff-caliber Washington Capitals, Blomqvist continued to prove why he belongs at the NHL level:

“I thought I’ve played pretty good here,” Blomqvist said after Friday’s win. “So, we’ll see what happens in the next couple of days.”

When asked about his confidence level in a general sense, he added: “Can’t really think too much. Need to take it one puck at a time, one game at a time. Go day-by-day and do my best.”

When comparing the sheer numbers of each Penguins goaltender in terms of goals-against average (GAA), save percentage (SV%), and average shot volume per game, this is what it looks like:

– Jarry: 5.47 GAA, .836 SV%, 24.3 shots per game (73 total shots faced)
– Nedeljkovic: 3.07 GAA, .883 SV%, 26.9 shots per game (188 total shots faced)
– Blomqvist: 3.25 GAA, .913 SV%, 36.1 shots per game (253 total shots faced)

But traditional numbers aren’t the only area in which Blomqvist is besting the two Penguins’ veterans. He is also among NHL leaders in stopping high-danger shots:

Up to this point in the season, Blomqvist has been the best goaltender for the Penguins. Although his waiver exemption makes him the easy choice to get sent down, it may not be that simple. Jarry is 29, and Nedeljkovic is 28. Blomqvist is only 22 years old and figures to be part of the Penguins’ future.

But if he was to stick around long-term, it would probably mean that one of the other two would have to be moved via trade.

There are many presumed contenders in need of goaltending help across the league. Nedeljkovic would certainly be the easiest to trade, as his two-year, $5 million contract isn’t a lot to take on, and he puts up serviceable numbers.

However, with the position the Penguins find themselves in right now, it’s not a stretch to say that trading Jarry is, likely, the preferred option, as it is the one that will afford them much more flexibility moving forward.

Related: 5 Teams That Should Consider Trading For Penguins Goaltender Tristan Jarry

The trouble is that there aren’t many teams that would want to take on the remaining four years on Jarry’s contract that pays him $5.375 million annually, especially since he will turn 30 this season. At least, not right now.

And this is precisely the reason why it may be smart for the Penguins to give Jarry a good amount of runway in these coming games. The best thing that can happen for them is that he goes on a really good run and makes himself marketable, and the only chance of that happening is if he sees playing time.

But, if that option fails, trading Nedeljkovic at some point almost seems like a foregone conclusion. Regardless, the good thing for the Penguins is that they have options between the pipes, and they appear to have a bright future in the blue paint as well.

The bad thing is that the future may have to be put on hold for just a bit longer.