Jarry aware of increased expectations with Penguins after signing deal

Tristan Jarry said he re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins aware of increased expectations.

The 28-year-old goalie signed a five-year, $26.875 million contract ($5.375 average annual value) on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent. For three seasons, Jarry has been Pittsburgh's No. 1 goalie, going 83-40-16 since replacing Matt Murray to start the 2020-21 season.

Now, because of the new contract, Jarry said Thursday that he and the Penguins want more.

"Obviously, signing a long-term deal, you want to be able to perform and you want to be able to do everything in your power to be able to perform," Jarry said. "That's what this summer has been about, just being able to be healthy and push myself every day, get stronger and just get better.

"I think that's something that I really want to do and really want to strive for this year, come back the best version of myself. I think that will do nothing but help the team."

Jarry said he wasn't his best late last season, when the Penguins (40-31-11) had a streak of 16 straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs end. He was 24-13-7 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in 47 games, missing 16 of 18 with a lower-body injury from Jan. 5-Feb. 18.

After returning Feb. 20, Jarry allowed 58 goals with an .890 save percentage in his final 20 games and was pulled from three of six starts from March 7-18.

Jarry said he is now fully healthy.

"I think it's been a good offseason so far. Come training camp, I'll be ready," Jarry said. "I'm currently 100 percent right now. It's just been working every day, getting better and getting stronger, getting prepared for the season."

The injury was sustained against the Boston Bruins in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston on Jan. 2, but Jarry said he had been dealing with it in some form since last training camp.

"It obviously limited me," Jarry said. "Whenever you do anything when you're not 100 percent, it's tough to do. It's tough to go out and be your best when you have things that are bothering you every day. … It's very frustrating. I was very frustrated a lot of times this season. I wasn't performing and wasn't playing up to the standards that I want to. There were points where I was playing well, and then, there were points where I wasn't.

"I think that's what frustrated me the most. I just couldn't get consistency with what was going on and everything that was happening. It was tough and frustrating to have a couple good days and a bad day, a couple good days and a bad day."

Jarry also had a lower-body injury at the end of the 2021-22 season that sidelined him for the first six games of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Rangers. He said the injury is not chronic.

"It's behind me," he said. "It's something that I'll never have to deal with again. Just looking forward from here, I'm getting prepared for next season."

Pittsburgh president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said July 1 that the Penguins were not concerned with Jarry's injury history, stemming from April 14, 2022, when New York Islanders forward Anders Lee tripped and slid into the goalie.

"It started with the freak thing going into the playoffs two years ago with Anders Lee falling into him," Dubas said. "I think one thing kind of rolls into the other with it. But he still played through it and was able to still play well. I think he'd be the first to tell you he wants to continue to be better.

"I think his sample shows he's capable of being better. Two of the previous three seasons, being an All-Star. So, I just think that the larger sample made me comfortable."

Dubas and Jarry met in Edmonton in June. That was enough for Jarry to look forward, on board with Pittsburgh's new direction.

"I think we're going to be a more competitive team," Jarry said. "We're a better team than we were last year. Obviously, for all the returning guys, we never had any thoughts that we were going to miss the playoffs last year. It was very frustrating, very upsetting that that's what happened, and we weren't able to make it.

"I think this year it's going to change. Things are going to change. We're going to be a better team."