The Tristan Jarry gamble in Edmonton has just officially turned into disaster

I’m going to go out and say that Tristan Jarry’s stint with the Edmonton Oilers has been a failure. What was supposed to be a stabilizing move in goal has instead become one of the most troubling storylines of Edmonton’s season.

When general manager Stan Bowman acquired Jarry earlier this season, the hope was that the veteran netminder could help settle the Oilers’ goaltending concerns heading into the stretch run. Four months later, the opposite has happened. Not only has Jarry lost the starting role to Connor Ingram, but he has also entered the Oilers record books for all the wrong reasons.

Jarry’s .856 save percentage through 15 games is now the lowest single-season mark posted by an Oilers goalie in that span in franchise history, tying Ron Low’s mark from the 1980-81 season — Edmonton’s second year in the NHL. For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, that number is alarming.

His struggles were fully exposed again Tuesday night in a crushing 6-5 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth. Jarry surrendered six goals on 31 shots, finishing the night with a brutal .806 save percentage. Despite the Oilers holding the lead multiple times, he could not deliver the timely saves needed to close the game out.

What makes the situation even more painful is that everyone knew there was risk involved in acquiring Jarry. His inconsistency in recent seasons was well documented. Still, few expected his play to dip below the level Edmonton was already getting before the trade.

Now, with the playoffs approaching fast, the Oilers face a difficult reality. They can either ride Ingram the rest of the way or hope Jarry somehow rediscovers his form before it is too late. For now, Edmonton’s gamble looks like a costly mistake at the worst possible time. And fans are getting nervous…