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'We're Ripping Off The Band-Aid Right Away': Skinner, Jarry To Square Off Against Former Teams

Matchups between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers are always exciting to begin with when the best of the last generation in Sidney Crosby and the best of the newer generation in Connor McDavid face off. 

But there is another storyline that is surely taking precedence Tuesday when the teams square off at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. 

On Friday, the Penguins and Oilers completed a trade to that involved goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin going to Edmonton in exchange for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. Jarry made his first start as an Oiler Saturday, which was a 25-save effort in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

But, for Skinner - who, along with Kulak, had immigration setbacks that prevented them from arriving sooner - Tuesday will mark not only his first start against his former team, but also his first start as a member of the Penguins. And it is set to happen against Jarry, who is returning to Pittsburgh for the first time just four days after the trade.

"Yeah, it's funny, we're ripping off the Band-Aid right away," Skinner said. "Which is good. Thinking about it, I think I'd rather it be like this and just kind of get it over with. But also, to enjoy it, too. I get to play my old teammates, and me and Brett get to do it together. And I think that's nothing but exciting."

After a bit of a rough start to the season, Skinner had been gaining some traction in recent games. In his last five starts, the 27-year-old is 3-1-1 with a .937 save percentage and eight goals against. On the season, he is 11-8-4 with a 2.83 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage, which are both below his career numbers of 2.74 and .904, respectively. 

'It Just Made Sense For Us To Do It At This Time': Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Gives Insight On Jarry Trade'It Just Made Sense For Us To Do It At This Time': Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Gives Insight On Jarry TradeIt's safe to say that <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/breaking-penguins-deal-tristan-jarry-to-edmonton-oilers">the trade sending Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday</a> - which returned goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick - surprised a whole lot of people, fans and players alike.

Overall, Skinner is happy with how his season has unfolded so far, and he's excited for his new opportunity. 

"I think it's been good. Obviously, ups and downs. Life of a goalie," Skinner said. "But I think, for the most part, I've been finding my game and finding that consistency, and I've just got to keep on doing that. It's been a few days since my last game, so just getting into that process is going to be important for me."

As for Jarry, 30, returning to the place he called home for 10-plus seasons is going to bring on some emotion. He was on a nice run this season before getting dealt, as he had a 9-3-1 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage with Pittsburgh. And this came after the worst season of his NHL career in 2024-25, when he was waived, had two AHL stints, and posted career-lows in goals-against average (3.12) and save percentage (.893) over a full NHL season. 

Why Oilers Fans Can Appreciate Tristan JarryWhy Oilers Fans Can Appreciate Tristan JarryTristan Jarry is a fine NHL goaltender, having a good year. He went 9-3-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage through 14 games with the Panguins. Those numbers matter, and they're a big reason why the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> traded for him.

Like Skinner said about his time in Edmonton, Jarry hopes Pittsburgh knows that he did everything he could to help the team win in his time there - and he looks forward to the opportunity to face the Penguins for the first time. 

“I put my heart and soul into this team. I hope they understand that," Jarry told Wes Crosby of NHL.com Monday. "You never want to go into a game thinking you’re going to lose. You want to win every single game that you set foot on the ice. That’s all I wanted to do was win in Pittsburgh, and I hope I was perceived that way.”

And he anticipates everything being a bit strange at first. 

“It will be very weird,” Jarry said. “It’s going to be a whole new setting."

Opinion: The Penguins Need To Right The Ship - And It Starts With Their LeadersOpinion: The Penguins Need To Right The Ship - And It Starts With Their LeadersThe Pittsburgh Penguins are mired in their worst stretch of the season, and it's up to Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang to pull them out of it.

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Laurent Brossoit Clears Waivers, Sent Back to Rockford IceHogs

On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks put Laurent Brossoit on waivers. If he were claimed, that would allow him to play somewhere else. 

However, he was not and will report to the Rockford IceHogs. This transaction will make it easier for the Blackhawks to find a trade partner for Brossoit. 

Now that Brossoit has cleared waivers, the acquiring team could put him in the AHL if they feel it is necessary for the time being. If their eventual goal is for him to become their NHL backup, that would be ideal for Brossoit. 

If a team had claimed him, he would have had to stay on their NHL roster for at least 30 days. With him not playing an NHL game in over two years, there is obvious hesitation. 

Either way, this will allow him to continue playing games and regain his form. So far, he's played well in his return to pro hockey. 

The Blackhawks signed Brossoit ahead of the 2024-25 season with the intention of having him help stabilize the position. However, while he was hurt, they traded for Spencer Knight, and he became the number one right away. With Arvid Soderblom and Drew Commesso as backup options in the coming years, the need for Brossoit is no longer there. 

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Jonatan Berggren Finds New NHL Home After Being Waived by Red Wings

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The tenure of Detroit Red Wings 2018 second round (33rd overall) draft selection Jonatan Berggren has officially come to a close. 

Berggren, who was placed on waivers by the Red Wings on Monday afternoon, has been claimed by the St. Louis Blues. 

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Berggren had scored two goals and four assists in 15 games this season.

His rookie campaign of 2022-23 showed promise, as he scored 15 goals with 13 assists in 65 games played. However, he would spend the majority of the following season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, appearing in only 12 NHL contests.

Red Wings Place Former High Draft Pick On WaiversRed Wings Place Former High Draft Pick On WaiversDetroit Red Wings place former second round pick Jonatan Berggren on waivers Monday.

Last season, which would ultimately prove to be his last full campaign with Detroit, he appeared in 75 games and scored 12 goals with 12 assists. 

On June 30, the Red Wings re-signed Berggren to a one-year, $1.825 million deal. 

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Canadiens Important Defenseman Out vs. Flyers

The Montreal Canadiens have gotten some less-than-ideal news ahead of their Dec. 16 game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canadiens have announced that defenseman Mike Matheson will not be in the lineup for their matchup against the Flyers. In addition, the Habs shared that Matheson is considered day-to-day due to his injury. 

With Matheson being one of the Canadiens' top defensemen, it is certainly tough news that he will not be in the lineup against the Flyers. Now, the Canadiens will need to adjust to not having him on their blueline as they look to extend their winning streak to two games. 

Matheson has appeared in 32 games so far this season with the Canadiens, where he has recorded four goals, 12 assists, 16 points, and a plus-7 rating. Overall, the left-shot defenseman is once again having a solid season for the Habs and landed his five-year, $30 million contract extension back in November because of it. 

It will now be interesting to see how the Canadiens respond to not having Matheson in the lineup against the Flyers from here. 

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“He Brings It”: Red Wings' Todd McLellan Praises Alex DeBrincat’s Relentless Competitiveness

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The puck may not have been going in early for Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat, but once he scored his first goal of the season on Oct. 25 during the team’s historic comeback win over the St. Louis Blues, the floodgates opened.

DeBrincat now has 18 goals in 33 games and is on pace to set a new career high with 45 if he maintains his current trajectory. His previous best came during two 40-goal seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he nearly matched that mark last season with 39 goals.

The Farmington Hills, MI native scored five goals while adding four assists during Detroit's season-high six-game road swing, during which they earned nine of a possible 12 points up for grabs in the standings. 

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While DeBrincat has been known throughout his career for his goal-scoring abilities, head coach Todd McLellan touts the competitiveness he shows as one of his top attributes.  

"The competitiveness, he plays in some tough situations, and he plays against 6'4", 6'5" defensemen, and the top pairs some nights over and over again, and he remains competitive even when the gas tank runs empty, which it does sometimes," McLellan explained. "He brings it." 

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"Not just this trip, but our - (assistant coach) Trent (Yawney) and my time with the Red Wings, we had an idea of how good Cat was, but he's shown us more than I would have known being in L.A. or San Jose and Edmonton all those years, just how well he competes. His shot, his offense, his mind, all that stuff. But just his competitiveness." 

"It's Special": John Leonard Excited For Upcoming Red Wings Debut "It's Special": John Leonard Excited For Upcoming Red Wings Debut The Detroit Red Wings called up forward John Leonard from the American Hockey League, where he was leading all scorers with 19 goals in 20 games.

DeBrincat is skating in his third season with the Red Wings since being acquired from the Ottawa Senators in July 2023, and he's been one of the club's most reliable sources of offensive production for the majority of his time in Detroit. 

They'll need him to continue providing timely offense in order to break through and bring Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for what would be the first time since the venue's opening in 2017. 

So far, there's little reason to believe that he won't. 

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Mets bring in Jorge Polanco, Padres trade noise, and what David Stearns could do next | The Mets Pod

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo react to the deal between the Mets and Jorge Polanco, and look for more moves ahead. 

The guys break down the Polanco signing, and what his role will be with the team, then dig through the noise surrounding potential trade action between the Mets and Padres. 

Connor and Joe also go Down on the Farm to pick an “untouchable” prospect, and answer Mailbag questions about Devin Williams, Jett Williams, David Stearns’ style of negotiation, and how long of a leash the Mets president of baseball operations actually has with owner Steve Cohen.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Why Steve Kerr is committed to keeping Warriors' starting lineup consistent

Why Steve Kerr is committed to keeping Warriors' starting lineup consistent originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors coach Steve Kerr has used nine unique starting lineups in as many games. He isn’t about to make it a perfect 10 for 10 Thursday in Phoenix against the Suns, or so he says. 

“I would love to get some continuity,” Kerr said Tuesday at Chase Center after practice. “It’s been tough to string together games with everyone healthy and the same starting lineup. So assuming everybody’s available in Phoenix, we’ll start the same way we did last game. I’d like to keep doing that to really build some continuity with the starting lineup and then also with the rotation off the bench.” 

A number of factors have led to Kerr trotting out a different starting five in each of the last nine games. The most notable obstacle has been health and availability. 

Steph Curry only played in four of them, missing five. Draymond Green played three, missing six, and exited in the second quarter in one of the games he played. Jimmy Butler played seven, missing just two, but was unavailable the entire second half to injury in one of the games he was available for. 

“To be honest, it’s been impossible the last couple of weeks,” Kerr said. “I mean, I don’t think we’ve had Dray, Steph and Jimmy all together since the Houston game, which was, I don’t know, six or seven games ago. And then obviously Pat [Spencer] played so well on the road and I wanted to reward him and we got two wins with him starting. 

“Circumstances have led to some of the lack of continuity, but I can do a better job of trying to help the guys build some of that too.” 

Prior to Sunday’s loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, the last time Curry, Butler and Green all played in the same game was the Warriors’ 104-100 loss against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 26, which was seven games and three weeks ago. Curry began limping the last few minutes of that loss and went to the locker room for the final 35 seconds with what later was deemed a left quad contusion that kept him out the next five games. 

Butler missed two and a half games to left knee soreness, and Green missed a handful from a combination of a right foot sprain and an excused personal reason. 

The starting five that Kerr went with Sunday night in Portland featured Curry, Butler, Moses Moody, Green and Quinten Post. It’s a group Kerr wants to give an extended run. As always, however, there are no guarantees. 

“I would love for this to be our starting lineup,” Kerr said. “It’s our starting lineup going forward and we’ll give it a good look. I feel confident with it, but we always have to make adjustments as the season goes.” 

That group of Curry, Butler, Moody, Green and Post played eight minutes and 55 seconds together in the Warriors’ 136-131 loss against the Trail Blazers. The starting five was outscored 29-28. They only made one of their three 2-point shots on the floor together while also going 8 of 14 from 3-point range. 

On the other side, the Blazers went 2 of 5 on 2-pointers against the Warriors’ starting five and 5 of 8 from deep for an 80.6 true shooting percentage. 

To no surprise, Curry, Butler and Green have started every game they have played this season. Moody has played 25 of the Warriors’ 27 games and has started 14. Post has played in all 27 and has been a starter in 13. 

“Consistency is good,” Moody said after practice. “You can get a comfort and feel in your role your spot so you know it. But it’s the NBA, so you’ve got to be ready to adjust.” 

Moody and Post making shots from deep is imperative for the lineup to work. Moody missed four open threes in the first half Sunday and then made two of his four in the second half to wind up with 12 points. Post scored 11, going 4 of 9 from the field and 3 of 6 on threes. 

For years, the Warriors have thrived using Green as a small-ball center. But the 6-foot-6 veteran can only take so much at 35 years old, and Kerr believes the give and take of having a 7-foot center that can stretch the floor like Post next to him is a benefit the Warriors have to lean into. 

“We’re more dynamic speed wise and disruptive defensively when he [Green] is at the five,” Kerr said. “He’s pushing the ball, he’s playing center field and blowing up a lot of things defensively. But when he’s at the four, he’s more on the perimeter offensively. So we’re not quite as dynamic, but I think the trade off is a good one. We get some minutes from him at the four, we can close the game with him at the five anytime we want. 

“And this will give QP, who’s had a great year, who’s playing at a very high level, especially defensively, the size rebounding – I like that. We’re a pretty small team in general. So to get QP in the starting lineup with Dray feels good.”

That unit had played just six minutes together going into Sunday’s game. Starting with the Warriors’ contest Thursday in Phoenix, Kerr hopes he can trust it for much longer.

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Gerwyn Price thrives off crowd support to ease through at PDC World Championship

  • Price cruises to 3-0 victory against Adam Gawlas

  • Danny Noppert rallies to beat Jurjen van der Velde

Gerwyn Price romped to a 3-0 win against Adam Gawlas to ease into the second round of the world championship on Tuesday.

Price, who was roared on by the the crowd at Alexandra Palace, bagged six 180s before closing out the win with his second 120 checkout of the evening. Despite missing 17 of his 26 attempts at doubles, he scored a 96.44 average to set up a second-round meeting with Wesley Plaisier.

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Canadiens Reveal Starting Goalie For Flyers Matchup

The Montreal Canadiens are facing the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 16. The Canadiens will be looking to build off their impressive 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers in their last contest. 

While speaking to reporters, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis announced that Jacob Fowler will be the Habs' starting goalie against the Flyers. Meanwhile, Jacob Dobes will be Fowler's backup, while Sam Montembeault will be in the press box. 

With Fowler being one of the Canadiens' most exciting prospects, fans will certainly be looking to see what the 21-year-old goaltender can do against the Flyers.

Fowler's most recent appearance for the Canadiens was against the New York Rangers on Dec. 13. The 2023 third-round pick allowed five goals on 29 shots in the Canadiens' 5-4 overtime loss to the Blueshirts. 

Fowler made his NHL debut for the Canadiens on Dec. 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and had a big performance, however. During it, he stopped 36 out of 38 shots he faced and picked up his first NHL win in the process.

It will now be very interesting to see how Fowler performs in his third career NHL game from here.