Why fans should be excited if the New Jersey Devils traded for Tristan Jarry

It’s almost a given that the New Jersey Devils will trade for a goaltender at some point in the NHL offseason. While names spanning from Jacob Markstrom to even something more under-the-radar and less likely to happen, like Jordan Binnington, would both make sense, let’s also not count out the strong possibility that a potential trade for Tristan Jarry would also be a good idea for general manager Tom Fitzgerald to pursue. 

No, Jarry isn’t the best goaltender out there. But we can all agree that, if he were the 1A in Newark heading into 2024-25, almost every Devils fan out there would have a greater peace of mind than they would have had if Vitek Vanecek were still in the crease. 

One reason Jarry should ignite the fan base stems from his ability to put up some epic outings. You don’t snag 12 shutouts over the past three seasons without boasting serious talent. Jarry has done that to go with a 0.911 save percentage, a 2.72 GAA, and a healthy 0.603 quality starts percentage. It’s also worth noting that starting in 2021-22, Jarry has since made 151 starts and 156 appearances, so he’s used to a sizable workload. 

A potential Tristan Jarry trade should excite New Jersey Devils fans

Sure, there are objections to Jarry, starting with the fact he logged 12 ‘really bad starts’ last season alone, which accounted for one-quarter of his 48 starts. He also allowed more goals than expected at even strength, and what the Pittsburgh Penguins got depended on something like, “Whichever Tristan Jarry decides to show up.”

But if the Devils acquired him, they would still have Jake Allen, and the two would form a decent one-two punch if paired with one another in Newark. Sure, you could name at least five, if not ten, better 1A/1B combos out there should something like this happen, at least on paper. Still, Jarry and Allen would be light years above the carousel the Devils dealt with last season. 

Also, with Jake Allen in town, Jarry wouldn’t be asked to start an average of 50-plus games per season, and he could likely take between 35 and 40 with Allen sidling in for the other 35 to 40, and a third goaltender, when applicable, taking the remainder. If asked to start fewer contests with a reliable tag team partner that Jake Allen would be, the Devils could end up with the best version of Tristan Jarry if Tom Fitzgerald made the trade. 

(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)