Protecting Joel Blomqvist has become more important than protecting Tristan Jarry.The Penguins recalled Jarry to the NHL and sent the struggling rookie Blomqvist to the AHL. Blomqvist’s past few starts were disastrous, punctuated with a 6-5 loss to the Maple Leafs on Sunday.Interestingly enough, Jarry hasn’t been good since being demoted to the AHL in January. The man who has been the No. 1 starter for the past few seasons in Pittsburgh has allowed four or more goals in four of his seven appearances in Wilkes-Barre since clearing waivers and being sent to the AHL on Jan. 17. He has been particularly ineffective in recent starts. Jarry, while playing for Wilkes-Barre, has allowed 13 goals in his past four outings, starts that have seen him allow at least four goals on each occasion.So, Jarry doesn’t seem to be receiving a promotion based on quality of performance.Rather, the Penguins believe that Blomqvist badly needs some time in the minor leagues. Blomqvist is 4-9-1 with a 3.81 GAA and an .885 save percentage. He has allowed three or more goals in 10 of his 12 NHL starts this season.
The Penguins have recalled goaltender Tristan Jarry from the @WBSPenguins (AHL).
Goaltender Joel Blomqvist has been re-assigned to WBS. pic.twitter.com/LPH7p1cpc3
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 3, 2025Jarry is 8-8-4 with a 3.55 GAA and an .884 save percentage this season. He is 6-5-1 with a 2.67 GAA and a .908 save percentage at the AHL level, though those numbers have ballooned in recent starts. He was far more effective during his first stint in Wilkes-Barre earlier this season.The Penguins’ goaltending has been a nightmare all season, and Alex Nedeljkovic’s recent performance hasn’t helped. Nedeljkovic is 12-12-5 with a 3.18 GAA and an .892 save percentage. He has been yanked in two of his first four starts since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.While the Penguins’ goaltending has been horrific, it isn’t lost on their front office that the goalies are playing behind arguably the NHL’s worst defensive team. There has been growing concern in the organization that playing the 23-year-old Blomqvist behind a team that generally doesn’t seem to concern itself with protecting its goaltender is only going to stunt his development.Required reading(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
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