No Regrets: Dubas Answers Jarry Waivers Fallout, Penguins Path Forward

CRANBERRY — The news was simultaneously unsurprising and shocking. After another subpar performance by goalie Tristan Jarry Tuesday night against the Seattle Kraken, the Pittsburgh Penguins put their No. 1 goalie on waivers.

In fact, the team announced it via X hours before league rights holders typically announce waivers at 2 p.m.

This season, Jarry has slumped more than he’s excelled. In 21 games, he’s just 8-8-4 with an anemic .886 save percentage. According to HockeyReference.com, his Goals-Saved-Above-Average stat is also abysmal at minus-8.6.

The move represents a strong sea change for the Penguins, who committed five years and over $26 million to Jarry on July 1, 2023. If he is unclaimed, Jarry will report to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. However, Dubas had obviously reached a firm decision.

The soft goal Tuesday night, which spotted Seattle a 1-0 lead just 2:11 into the game, was just another example of the Penguins falling behind or losing tight games on dubious goals.

In the stormy wake of Jarry’s departure, Dubas met with the Pittsburgh media in person for the first time since the beginning of the season. He struck a confident tone and drew a couple of hard lines, notably on Jarry’s health, ” Zero health issues,” and the idea that he might have any regrets about issuing the biggest contract to a free agent goalie in 2023.

“I think it would speak worse of me if it were a mistake, and we prolonged it and continued to try to force it,” said Dubas. “If there are mistakes that I make, I try to rectify them and come out here and face the music.”

However, the one topic unaddressed because the logjam hasn’t changed is goalie Sergei Murashov’s placement. He’s been a dominant netminder in Wheeling of the ECHL, 15-2-1, with a .923 save percentage. Assuming Jarry goes unclaimed, it appears Murashov will remain in Wheeling.

However, it sounds like Murashov is going to take precedence over others in the near future.

“(Jarry) is going to have to earn his way back up,” said Dubas. “It’s circumstantial. If we have injuries, a prolonged solid stretch from him would be great. But the other part is we have Filip Larsson, who has played well. We have Murashov in the ECHL. We’re mindful of keeping (their development) on the go because in the long run of the organization (the prospect goalies) are vitally important.”

Kyle Dubas

Q: What led to the decision? 

When he came back (from the AHL conditioning assignment), we committed to giving it some good runway. And I credit (goalie coach) Andy Chiodo and (coach Mike Sullivan). They stuck with it, and he played 17 or 27 … he had a good stretch where he won four in a row against good competition. From my view, it was ‘just be patient.’ See the way it unfolded.

As we got to this date, that was important for us because we are about to go on the road for a couple of weeks. We felt like it was enough time to measure it, and we felt like, in the long run, it was best for the team and for Tristan to have Joel (Blomqvist) come up.

We think over the past year and a half, with his play in Wilkes-Barre and his play up here with us, that he’s earned the right to have a go at it, and we get to see what he can do with the look.”

Q: How did Jarry take the news?

“He was quiet. Most players are in those instances. Probably not as robust a discussion as everyone dreams it to be, and he and I will have a deeper conversation tomorrow at 2 p.m. Or once he gets down there and gets his feet under him.

(WBS) It has a strange schedule. They’ve got some massive issues at the arena, and they can’t play this weekend. They’ve got a light schedule, which I think will serve this particular situation well.”

Q: Because signing Jarry was one of your signature moves, was it difficult for you in terms of how it reflects on you? 

(Dubas protruded his lower lip and shook his head). “In terms of how it reflects on me, this is the job. The object is to make as few mistakes as possible, and all of that is out there for everybody to judge. I understand and agree. You’re not going to get any defense from me on it.

It was my decision within the first couple of weeks of being here. So, that was the decision then. I would also say, with goaltenders in particular, you have to be careful about writing the obituary too quickly because we’ve seen a lot of guys who are able to come back. We talked with (Alex Nedeljkovic) a little bit when Tristan went down on the conditioning stint.

It’s up to Jarry to go down there and use it as a full reset if he does get through. I think it would speak worse of me if it were a mistake, and we prolonged it and continued to try to force it,” said Dubas. “If there are mistakes that I make, I try to rectify them.”

Q: Did you try to trade Jarry, and do you anticipate him clearing waivers?

“Throughout the offseason, there was a number of discussions, as there always are. When anybody struggles, teams always inquire. In that instance, there wasn’t anything that was going to be suitable for us or for Tristan. We wanted to bring him back in and play.

He didn’t play at the end of last year as he got sick at Madison Square Garden, where all of our guys got sick, and (Nedeljkovic) got hot. That’s the position sometimes.

In terms of whether he’ll clear waivers, it’s been impossible to project. If he were a defenseman, I would say he’s definitely not going to clear because it seems no defenseman has gotten through lately, but goaltenders are tough to project.”

Q: What are the strengths of Joel Blomqvist’s game?

His athleticism and speed–the way he reads the game. He’s got good size. Good movement–that’s the technical side. On the psychological side, and I think we’ve all seen it, when he has a bad stretch or bad game, he’s able to put a stop to it and move it the other way.

It’s going to be different here than the American League, but we’ll give him that chance.”

Q: How did he handle being sent to the AHL on the conditioning stint earlier this season? 

“Objectively, he came in great shape. That was a credit to him. And I think throughout this whole stretch, he’s continued to come in here and put the work in. That’s not been a question at all. It just hasn’t materialized the way we would like it to on the ice. And at this level, you have to do what’s right in the long run for him and for us.”

Q: There have been so many goals scored on first or second shots. Has that had any sort of psychological effects?

It builds a narrative. Everyone is seeing it, but I wouldn’t say that. You’d have to ask him that question, whether it’s weighed on him. I haven’t seen it or felt it, but I think, especially in that position when something starts to happen, you start to (get uptight) on every first or second shot. Frankly, you can feel it in the building, especially at home–you can feel that heaviness.

I’d be shocked if it didn’t weigh on him, and that’s something we always try to provide the resources to alleviate or fix. In that position, especially out there on your own, it’s hard.”