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Goaltender Tristan Jarry enters Edmonton Oilers training camp with a clear mission: reclaim his form and establish himself as the team’s undisputed starter. After a difficult 2025–26 season disrupted by injury and inconsistency, Jarry spent the summer working to reset both physically and mentally ahead of the new campaign, which opens on September 29.
A Season to Forget, a Summer to Rebuild
Jarry began last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and showed early promise. However, after a trade to Edmonton on December 12, his season quickly unraveled. He played just three games before a lower-body injury sidelined him for nearly a month.
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His return to the ice brought little relief. General manager Stan Bowman described the situation bluntly at training camp. “When he came back, he never found his game,” Bowman said. “And our team didn’t really play great in front of him either, so it was somewhat of the worst circumstances.”
Bowman added that the timing made recovery especially difficult. “At that time of the year it’s tough to gain your confidence after you’ve missed some time,” he said. “From that point forward, it never came together for him.”
Jarry finished last season with a 9-6-2 record in 19 games for the Oilers. He posted one shutout and a 3.86 goals-against average. Those numbers fell well short of what the team needed.
Jarry Arrives at Camp Ready to Respond
Despite last season’s struggles, Bowman expressed confidence in Jarry’s preparation. “He worked hard all summer and came into camp in excellent form,” the GM said. “He’s setting himself up in the best way possible to bounce back. We’re confident and hopeful that will happen.”
Jarry echoed that optimism. He acknowledged the mental toll of the injury but said he has moved past it. “Obviously, last year didn’t go the way that I wanted,” Jarry said. “It was just having the confidence and knowing that it’s not going to happen again.”
The Oilers brought seven goaltenders to training camp. However, Jarry enters the season as the clear number one. Devon Levi, acquired in an off-season trade with the Buffalo Sabres, will serve as his backup. Levi has appeared in only 39 NHL games across four seasons.
Frederik Andersen’s Return Adds a New Dynamic
The goaltending picture in Edmonton will shift later in the season. Frederik Andersen signed as a free agent in July after leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup championship. He was originally projected as the team’s top starter. However, a knee injury suffered during those playoffs has delayed his debut.
The Oilers expect Andersen to return in late October. At that point, the team plans to carry three goaltenders. Jarry acknowledged that arrangement will require a different mindset.
“That’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment,” he said. “It’ll be a great challenge for the three of us to be our best every night. To manage those days when you’re not playing, to when you are playing — that’ll be the situation you have to excel in.”
Jarry also made clear that competition, not comfort, should drive the decision-making. “Obviously you want the best goalie in the net every night,” he said. “Because every night we want to have a chance to win, and whichever goalie is doing that should have the net.”
Pressure Comes With the Position in Edmonton
Jarry already knows what it means to tend goal in Edmonton. The city’s fanbase and media have scrutinized the goaltending position closely for years. That scrutiny continued even as Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard guided the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances.
Still, Jarry welcomes the challenge. “There’s obviously a lot of pressure, but there’s a lot of pressure everywhere,” he said. “To be able to play for this team, with these players, and hopefully go a long way and be that last team playing in June — that’s your goal.”
He added that reaching that goal as the Oilers’ starting goaltender would carry real meaning. “To be the goalie for that,” Jarry said, “would be something special.”
The Oilers open their 2026–27 regular season on September 29.
