Penguins place goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a shocking decision between the pipes.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry was placed on waivers on Wednesday, the team announced.

The 29-year-old signed a five-year, $26.8-million extension with the Penguins on July 1, 2023, meaning he has three years remaining on his current deal with a cap hit of $5.38 million, according to CapWages.

The Penguins will call up rookie Joel Blomqvist to join Alex Nedeljkovic.

"At this point, just feel it's best in the long run for the team and for Tristan to allow Joel to come up here," Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said. "We think over the past year-and-half with his play in Wilkes-Barre and when he's been up here with us, he's earned the right to have a go at it."

Jarry ceded the starting job to Nedeljkovic last spring. While he reclaimed his spot atop the depth chart entering this season, he stumbled out of the gate and was sent to the American Hockey League for a lengthy conditioning stint.

Jarry has been particularly poor early in games. He's allowed a goal on an opponent's first shot six times this season and allowed a short-handed goal on Seattle's second shot in a 4-2 loss to the Kraken on Tuesday.

It seems unlikely a team would be willing to claim Jarry and pick up his salary, potentially opening the door for him to be reassigned to the AHL.

The Surrey, B.C., native also made five appearances in the AHL this year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he recorded a .926 save percentage and 2.12 goals-against average.

"Throughout this whole stretch, he's continued to come in here and put the work in. That's not been a question at all. It just hasn't materialized the way we would like it to on the ice," Dubas said. "At this level, you get to the point where you have to do what's right in the long run for him and for us."

The Penguins sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division with an 18-20-8 record and are in the midst of a three-game losing streak. They return to action on Thursday when they take on the Sabres in Buffalo.

-- with files from the Associated Press

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