Jarry eager to prove he's worth lucrative extension

Tristan Jarry is focused on proving the five-year, $26.8-million bet the Pittsburgh Penguins placed on him this summer is a worthwhile one.

Jarry was arguably the top free-agent goalie available this offseason, and new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas rewarded him handsomely with a deal that many viewed as risky due to Jarry's injury history.

"Obviously, signing a long-term deal, you want to be able to perform and you want to be able to do everything in your power to be able to perform," Jarry told NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "That's what this summer has been about, just being able to be healthy and push myself every day, get stronger, and just get better.

"I think that's something that I really want to do and really want to strive for this year, come back the best version of myself. I think that will do nothing but help the team."

Limited to 47 games in 2022-23, Jarry posted 24 wins along with a .909 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average. He admitted he played while not fully healthy as the Penguins unsuccessfully battled for a postseason berth.

"Whenever you do anything when you're not 100%, it's tough to do," Jarry said. "It's tough to go out and be your best when you have things that are bothering you every day. It's very frustrating. I was very frustrated a lot of times this season. I wasn't performing and wasn't playing up to the standards that I want to."

Pittsburgh failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 16 years this past season, prompting the firings of former president Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall. After bringing in Dubas, the Penguins signed Noel Acciari, Ryan Graves, and Lars Eller to retool the roster.