Penguins Wrap: Dubas, Crosby, Jarry … and More Tristan Jarry

It’s pretty amazing the way the flavor of things can change. No, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ mini-surge has not miraculously pushed them into contention for a playoff spot. But the events of the past week certainly have made watching the team a lot more interesting, both in terms of viewing the games themselves and in terms of how it might affect the outlook for the future.

One name really stood out, and we aren’t talking Sidney Crosby — although he had yet another strong week as he cruises toward breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 19 seasons averaging at least a point per game. No, this was a name that many might have thought would not appear in a Penguins game again — Tristan Jarry.

The veteran  goaltender helped the Penguins win three games in a row, games in which the newer players who came in at the trade deadline also contributed.

Another goalie, highly notable for Penguins fans, played his last game against the Penguins, with a memorable outcome.

And, with the trade deadline still relatively fresh, we got some insights from president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas.

Catch up on all of that and more from the past week. Click the links.

Sunday: That memorable outcome? It was incredibly fitting that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scored on former Penguins core player and fan favorite Marc-Andre Fleury as the Penguins topped the Minnesota Wild.

The game also marked the return of Tristan Jarry after the goaltender was dispatched to the AHL. Jarry won the head-to-head matchup with Fleury. And Crosby had a little fun talking about Fleury. Read it in Penguins slapshots.

Monday: Even though trade deadline day came and went, PHN dug for some further details about how things went down and how things might still unfold. It’s in Penguins cleanup.

And, as the dust cleared after the trade deadline, Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas was understandably under scrutiny. Well, there is reason to believe he is repeating a couple mistakes that have dogged him in the past. Read Dan Kingerski’s column.

Tuesday: It’s that time of year. OK, it’s one of those times of the year. The Penguins have begun signing some of their prospects and future pieces. This time, it was two draft picks.

A couple of Penguins turned up not only injured, but also expected to be out for weeks. Another is out for perhaps a shorter term. Get the details in this injury update.

Crosby and Jarry were at it again, and this time Erik Karlsson was also a difference-maker as the Penguins won their second game in a row, beating Vegas.

It was a win, but there was much to digest. PHN identified some really good things and some really bad things. Check out the Penguins grades.

Wednesday: The Penguins got back to practice. Ryan Shea, one of those players who is expected to be out weeks because of an injury, skated but was limited. And the team tweaked a couple of its lines. Get the Penguins practice report.

Goalie Tristan Jarry didn’t just look different. He really was different compared to when he seemingly bottomed out before he was demoted. That sets up some different scenarios.

One of the players who joined the Penguins at the trade deadline went from playing for his hometown team and one that is considered a contender, to a Penguins team that is set to miss the playoffs and is in some sort of retool. That’s OK with Conor Timmins.

Thursday: There’s a push from outside the Penguins organization for the team to tank — to finish as low as possible in the standings in order to potentially get higher draft picks for their retool. PHN surveyed some players to see what they think about that in the latest edition of One Question.

A little more from Dubas. He offered his thoughts on prospect recalls and, interestingly, being open to restricted free agent offer sheets. Read it here.

Jarry. Again. He came up huge for the Penguins. And this time, he got goal support from some unlikely places, including two new guys, as the Penguins downed the St. Louis Blues.

Those dynamics helped, but other aspects of the Penguins game were lacking. That led to some wildly disparate marks in the Penguins grades.

Friday: You probably know the Penguins have stockpiled draft picks for the next few years. It’s kind of hard to keep track of it all. Not anymore. Here’s a great primer on the team’s 2025 draft picks.