Tristan Jarry gets another shot as Edmonton Oilers search for answers in net

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry lifts his helmet during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

After another uneven stretch in goal, the Edmonton Oilers are turning back to Tristan Jarry for a chance to steady things in net.

Connor Ingram went 2-3 with 15 goals against over the last five games, and Jarry is expected to start one of two road games, either Tuesday in Utah or Thursday in Las Vegas.

“We said before (Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay) he was going to play one of these games on the road trip,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said after Monday’s practice. “It’s just deciding which game it’s going to be.”

Jarry has one win over his last five games while allowing 22 goals, including seven in his last start, a 7-2 loss to Dallas.

“My game hasn’t been where I want it, so it’s just working on my game throughout practice and morning skates,” Jarry said. “You never want to play poorly, but it’s the ups and downs of the NHL. Every single player has gone through it at some point.”

The key, he said, is to learn from the erratic performance and be better for it.

Since returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for nearly a month, Jarry has been unable to perform at the level the Oilers were hoping for after acquiring him in a December trade with Pittsburgh that sent Stuart Skinner the other way.

“It’s tough, you get injured, you kind of have to reset,” said Jarry. “You’re not on the ice for a couple of weeks, you’re not seeing the things you normally would, you kind of lose that touch and that feeling. So it’s kind of finding that again and finding it as quickly as possible and doing everything in your power to be at your best.”

In a tight playoff race in a weak Pacific Division, the Oilers are hoping Jarry can rediscover the form he showed in his first few games with the team.

“His first few games, we were very optimistic, he looked great,” said Knoblauch. “Unfortunately, there was the injury, and he took a step back and hasn’t been able to regain his game as much as it was before.

“Hopefully, this break has been a reset for him. Sometime during this road trip, he has a game. Hopefully, it’s a good one, and we can continue to put him back in the net.”

McDavid briefly at practice

Meanwhile, Connor McDavid raised some eyebrows when he was on the ice for only a brief period during Monday’s practice. Knoblauch said his star forward was just seeing how he felt and was scheduled for a maintenance day.

“It’s all good,” McDavid said.

The Oilers are already without Leon Draisaitl for the rest of the regular season, making their push for a playoff spot all the more difficult.

“It’s been a trying year for sure,” said McDavid. “But 71 games in, still in a playoff spot, still a chance to win the division. So when you look at it this way, there are a lot of positives.”

The Oilers sit third in the Pacific Division, one point back of second-place Vegas and five behind first-place Anaheim.

“Doesn’t matter how we got here, doesn’t matter what division you play in, there’s eleven games left to not only get in but win our division,” he said. ”We’ve been pushing for a while, and it hasn’t seemed to be working. We obviously have to figure out a different strategy to find ways to win.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2026.

John Korobanik, The Canadian Press