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Will the Penguins have to trade a goalie?

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Joe De Falco
May 6, 2020  (7:05)
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With more than $68 million already committed to next year's roster, the Pittsburgh Penguins may find themselves in a tight position between the pipes ahead of the 20-21 season, General Manager Jim Rutherford told The Athletic this week.

With a dynamic duo of Stanley Cup Champion Matt Murray and red hot up and comer Tristan Jarry serving in net this year, the Penguins have looked good, and held the third playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division at the time of the season's suspension.

As Rutherford implied, however, given cap limitations, the duo may be short lived as both netminders are set to become free agents following the end of the 19-20 season.

Murray currently holds an AAV of $3.75 million, and though Jarry's current contract only yields him $675,000 a year, it's anticipated his performance this season will warrant a substantial pay increase.

Rutherford spoke on the possibilities that lie ahead;

"I'll say this: If we are going to keep both of them, we'd have to move a few things around on our team.

There is a way to do things and to make that work, yes. There are some very, very tough decisions ahead."

Murray, 25, made 38 starts through the season, carrying a record of 20-11-5 with a 2.87 GAA and .899 save percentage.

Jarry, who made 33 starts, held a 20-12-1 record, with a 2.43 GAA and .921 save percentage. He would also participate in his first NHL All-Star game this season, serving as an injury replacement for Columbus' Joonas Korpisalo.

Rutherford spoke highly of both goaltenders ability.

Though Murray struggled at times through the season, Rutherford noted that he was confident he would be their No. 1 through this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs;

“He's the guy with the experience that time of year, he's the guy that has had so much success in the postseason, and he was starting to play really well. I could sense him really playing better and gearing up for the playoffs. He's done it before. We were quite pleased with how his game was coming along."

He would also speak to Jarry's ability and high caliber performance this season;

"He was our best goaltender in our past couple of camps, so we knew we had a good one. But the truth is, he played at a higher and more consistent level than we were anticipating."

While it seems as though no decisions have been made as of yet, following the end of the 19-20 season, it'll certainly be interesting to see how the goaltending tandem plays out in Pittsburgh.

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MAI 6   |   209 ANSWERS
Will the Penguins have to trade a goalie?

Which goaltender should Pittsburgh keep?

Murray10349.3 %
Jarry10650.7 %
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