"Great job Dubas on re-signing him": Penguins fans left scratching their heads after Tristan Jarry's assignment to AHL affiliate

Pittsburgh Penguins fans were surprised on Saturday when the team sent goaltender Tristan Jarry to their AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, for a conditioning loan.

The Penguins announced it on their X account, in these words:

“The Penguins have assigned goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) on a conditioning loan.”

Tristan Jarry’s reassignment is temporary but has puzzled fans. Jarry has been the Penguins’ top goaltender for three seasons, but he struggled in his first three games this year, allowing 12 goals on 73 shots.

His .836 save percentage is below expectations, but with the team’s slow 3-5-1 start, the Penguins seem ready to try other options.

In Jarry’s absence, Pittsburgh will rely on goaltenders Alex Nedeljkovic and Joel Blomqvist.

Fans reacted to the news on social media. Some of the reactions were like this:

“Highest paid baby penguin of all time. Crazy stuff,” one fan commented.

"We needed to do this. Let him cook in WBS, maybe go on a little 10-game win streak, couple shutouts, bring him back to Pittsburgh confident and looking like a brick wall," another fan said.

"What about the rest of the defense? Can we send them there too?" One fan wrote, seemingly unhappy with Penguins' defensive play.

Here are some more reactions from fans:

"Next assign Mike Sullivan to WBS for conditioning. 10 year conditioning," a fan said.

"Shame they can't assign Tanger there to learn how to play D again. -6 over the last 5, and most of those are on him," another said.

"Unfortunately, Jarry is not the only problem, old, slow team, Dubass has his work cut out for him," one fan opined.

The Penguins hope Jarry can regain his form during his time in the AHL.

Tristan Jarry's last game before getting loaned to AHL

Tristan Jarry’s last game for the Penguins was an overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres, ending 6-5. Jarry struggled, allowing three goals on five shots in just 11 minutes. After this rough start, he was pulled from the game, and backup Joel Blomqvist replaced him, making 26 saves.

The Penguins recently lost 4-0 to the Oilers and finally made up their mind to send Jarry to their AHL affiliate to help him regain form. He can come back to the lineup when the team sees fit.

In the Buffalo game, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each reached big career milestones. Crosby scored the game-winning goal in overtime, marking his 1,600th NHL point. Malkin scored his 500th NHL goal and had three assists, making it a memorable night for the two stars.