Tristan Jarry vowed to be better for the Penguins. Will he?
In advance of the Penguins’ upcoming training camp, the Tribune-Review will look at the Penguins’ depth. Today, the goaltenders:
After a poor performance in the postseason — a humbling first-round loss to the New York Islanders — Tristan Jarry was fairly succinct on what he would offer when the Penguins’ 2021-22 season opened four months later.
“I will be better next year.”
Considering his save percentage was .888 in the postseason, “better” seems like the only option.
There was plenty of speculation that the Penguins would look to find a new goaltender this offseason. After all, there were plenty of established names available. But most of those names also had bloated goals-against average figures attached to them. So the Penguins stood pat on Jarry as well as backup goaltender Casey DeSmith.
The most notable change they made with the position was the person who oversees it.
Goaltending coach Mike Buckley was fired in early August and replaced by Andy Chiodo, previously the goaltending development coach.
He’ll bring a different voice and a fresh perspective to a position in hopes of reinvigorating the sagging fortunes of Jarry.
A second-round pick in 2013, Jarry has the pedigree. And as evidenced by his selection to the All-Star Game in 2020, he has the talent. And the notion of him rebounding after an embarrassing postseason isn’t outrageous.
Former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, each All-Stars, found ways to shake off poor playoff efforts in 2013 and 2019, respectively, and returned to the top of their profession.
The Penguins need Jarry to do the same.
His backup, DeSmith, who is entering the final year of his contract, was steady when called upon last season. One of the smaller goaltenders in the NHL at 6-foot, 181 pounds, he relies on his quickness more than most larger goaltenders.
A core muscle injury in May ended his season prematurely, but all signs point to him being fully recovered. Barring anything unforeseen, look for him to appear in the neighborhood of 30 to 35 games this season.
Louis Domingue, 29, steps in as the third organizational goaltender. A journeyman who has played for the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes and Lightning, Domingue is a reliable veteran option the Penguins can turn to should Jarry or DeSmith be unavailable.
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Domingue is the biggest goaltender the Penguins have under contract.
The second biggest is undrafted prospect Alex D’Orio at 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds. The 22-year-old took a big step forward with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League last season. In 11 AHL games, he was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s only goaltender with a winning record, posting a 6-3-2 mark along with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
The only other goaltender under contract is prospect Filip Lindberg. Drafted in the seventh round (No. 197th overall) by the Minnesota Wild in 2019, Lindberg, 22, never signed with that organization and turned professional this past spring after leading Massachusetts to the NCAA title.
Given the presence of Domingue and D’Orio, Lindberg could find himself getting some much-needed playing time as a member of the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL in his first professional season.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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