The Athletic Hockey Show – Detailed Summary

Episode: Will Tristan Jarry be the last goalie the Oilers trade for this season?
Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Sean Gentili, Sean McIndoe (AKA Down Goes Brown), Frankie Corrado

Episode Overview

This episode dissects the Edmonton Oilers’ recent trade for goalie Tristan Jarry, pitting him in a memorable immediate matchup against the Penguins (and Stuart Skinner) just days after the swap. The hosts discuss the logic behind the move, the risks involved in Edmonton’s goaltending carousel, and whether the trade market is truly closed for the Oilers yet. Segments also explore Buffalo’s hiring of Yarmo Kekäläinen, trade deadline nuances, and some lighter banter around hockey teams’ watchability and hockey culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Oilers-Penguins Goalie Trade and Its Fallout

Segment: [03:58–12:32]

• Immediate “Revenge Game” Setup:

  • Both freshly traded goalies, Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner, started for their new teams just five days post-trade, drawing comparisons to the Spider-Man meme: "you have two guys who are traded for each other five days ago... Of course, end up facing off last night." — Sean Gentili [03:58]
  • Both teams “delivered” by starting their newcomers. "I kind of can't believe...both teams started the guy after the trade...it was the most intriguing game of the night." — Sean McIndoe [05:53]

• Game Recap & McDavid Highlight:

  • Oilers beat Penguins 6–4. McDavid scored a dazzling goal: "Could have been prime Marty Brodeur and he still wouldn’t have gotten to that post." — Frankie Corrado [04:59]
  • Skinner’s reaction: "I've seen it so many times, I just don't know what you could possibly do... Next time, I'm just going to be aggressive." [05:06]

• Trade Analysis:

  • Jarry vs. Skinner: Hosts suggest Jarry has a higher ceiling, but Skinner is more proven in the playoffs. Progress likely to be marginal: "How much better does Jarry make the Oilers...am I thinking like, 10% at the most? That’s kind of how I feel." — Frankie Corrado [07:42]
  • There’s praise for simply making a move: "I give them a lot of credit for finally making a trade and saying, we're going to do this." [08:50]
  • McIndoe emphasizes that change was essential even if Skinner wasn’t a bad NHL goalie. "Going into the playoffs with Stuart Skinner as your number one again was not something that would work." [08:59]
  • However, Jarry is called "the most volatile goaltender I've ever consistently watched." — Gentili [11:04]

• The Floor vs. Ceiling Argument:

  • Jarry has a lower floor but higher ceiling than Skinner. He brings more athletic "scramble" ability, perhaps better suited to Edmonton’s defensive breakdowns but carries day-to-day risk. "You just don't know what you’re getting from that guy on a game-to-game basis, let alone month-to-month." — Gentili [11:04]

• Personal Experience & Backgrounds:

  • Corrado shares his AHL experience with Jarry, describing him as slow to start in practices but a good and thoughtful person: "We would start practice at 10:30...Jarry would start at 10:40 because the first warmup drill everyone would score on him...Jars, wake up!" [12:53]

2. Leon Draisaitl's 1,000-Point Milestone & Hockey Locker Room Banter

Segment: [15:22–19:12]

• Draisaitl Hits 1,000 Points:

  • First German, fifth-fastest non-North American, and 103rd overall. "Does that seem high or low?" — Gentili [15:47]. "That seems appropriate to me." — Corrado [15:47]
  • Oilers’ post-game T-shirts feature Draisaitl "smoking a dart" with the slogan "smoking his way to a thousand." [16:21]

• Player Culture:

  • How common is smoking in hockey? Corrado shares a junior hockey story: "I look at him and go, 'What's going on with the darts?' He goes, 'Oh, I'm trying to quit chew.'" [17:31]

3. Connor McDavid’s Recent Tear

Segment: [18:38–20:42]

• Post-Trade Uplift:
  • McDavid’s brilliance highlighted: "20 points in seven games...He took the scoring lead briefly last night." — Gentili [18:59]
  • Corrado on McDavid shooting more: "He's actually saying shooting the puck has become an option for me...This guy's on fire right now." [19:12]
  • McIndoe calls it "terrifying" if McDavid is back into goalscoring mode after previously besting Matthews in the Rocket race. [20:01]

4. Trade Market Dynamics: Double Retention Rules & the Impending Freeze

Segment: [23:08–29:49]

• CBA Impacts:

  • New deadline for retaining salary in a trade and the ripple effects—"75 days from now will be after the trade deadline," so GMs need to act now for multi-team retention deals. [23:08]
  • McIndoe quips, "If you can make trading less likely...you gotta do that as soon as possible." [24:05]
  • Corrado suggests double retention matters less now due to softer cap crunches for teams: "Teams aren't in the same kind of cap crunch...it's obsolete in a way." [25:12]
  • Gentili notes the Oilers-Pens goalie trade had zero salary retention, giving the Penguins more future trade flexibility: "That's decent work by [Dubas]." [26:10]

• Who Complained?:

  • McIndoe wonders aloud who lobbied for the new trade restriction: "If I'm a buyer, I like [salary retention]...If I'm a seller, I like it...who had a bug up their behind and said...we need to fast track it?" [27:46]

5. The Buffalo Sabres Hire Yarmo Kekäläinen: Evaluation and Frustration

Segment: [29:49–42:13]

• Organizational Stagnation:

  • Sabres fan frustration: "You constantly have the opportunity to start with a blank canvas...and they've messed it up so many times." — Corrado [30:56]
  • Gentili and McIndoe agree that Yarmo’s bias for action is a breath of fresh air in paralyzed Buffalo. "His default setting is to do stuff. That is not...what Sabres have had." — Gentili [31:53], "The default mode in Buffalo was basically to not hire anybody." [33:21]

• Cautiously Optimistic on Yarmo:

  • While Yarmo's Columbus record was mixed, "he's shown the guts...to roll the dice on rentals," which Buffalo needs. [42:13]
  • But Sabres success will depend on willingness to spend to the cap: "The Blue Jackets spent to the cap. The Sabres have not...If you have a cheap owner, it doesn't matter." — Gentili [42:13]

• Potential for Alex Tuch Extension:

  • Tuch reportedly wants “Adrian Kempe money” ($10M+), which would require Buffalo to open the pocketbook: "You can convince Alex Tuch to stay...if the price is right." — Corrado [38:53]

6. Bench Banter: Minnesota Wild, Quinn Hughes, and the NHL “Do Not Watch” List

Segment: [44:05–45:33]

• Quinn Hughes’ Unique Style:

  • New Wild fans are introduced to Hughes’ quirky way of entering the bench, delighting the hosts. [44:05]

• Team Watchability:

  • Corrado proposes a "do not watch" list for dull teams: "I like to watch every team early...then I develop a do not watch list. Philly, for instance, are terrible to watch but not a bad team." [44:59]
  • Plenty of good-natured ribbing about hockey boredom and golf course preferences.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jarry/Skinner Trade:
  “You just don’t know what you’re getting from that guy on a game to game basis, let alone month to month. And I think that makes it hard to assess it in any real way and also hard to predict, you know, whatever they’re going to do next.”
  — Sean Gentili [11:04]

• On Draisaitl's “Smoking to 1,000” T-Shirt:
  “If they don’t win, do those shirts still come out? Or... do they get shipped to some third world country with Blue Jays World Series gear?”
  — Sean McIndoe [16:43]

• On Buffalo's Hiring Philosophy:
  "The fact that they even made this change is kind of shocking because it truly felt like Kevin Adams was going to have the job for life despite the results."
  — Sean Gentili [33:21]

• On Trade Deadline Rules Tweaks:
  "If you can make trading less likely and make the rumor mill less fun for the fans, you gotta do that as soon as possible."
  — Sean McIndoe [24:05]

• On Connor McDavid’s Scoring Surge:
  “He’s actually saying shooting the puck has become an option for me. It’s not option three...This guy’s on fire right now.”
  — Frankie Corrado [19:12]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Opening banter / holiday shopping woes: 02:13–03:58
• Oilers-Penguins goalie trade analysis: 03:58–15:22
• Draisaitl’s 1,000 point milestone & smoking culture: 15:22–18:38
• McDavid's surge / scoring leader debate: 18:38–20:42
• Trade freeze, double retention CBA rules: 23:08–29:49
• Buffalo Sabres, Yarmo Kekäläinen, and cap spending: 29:49–42:13
• Minnesota, Quinn Hughes’ bench style / Do Not Watch List idea: 44:05–45:33
• Light closing banter, media personalities, announcer appreciation: 49:04–54:05

Final Thoughts & Tone

The episode strikes a familiar blend of insightful analysis and irreverent camaraderie. The panel highlights the ongoing rollercoaster for Edmonton’s goaltending and the complexities of trade season in a flat-cap world. There's hope—tempered with hard-earned skepticism—for Buffalo’s front office shuffle. Connor McDavid’s dominance, Draisaitl’s milestone, and the quirky realities of hockey culture keep the tone brisk and engaging.
Plenty of inside jokes, personal stories (including AHL practice tales and golf angst), and industry observations give the episode strong conversational chemistry, with both hockey nerd curiosity and plenty of locker room warmth.

This summary covers all major content segments and memorable dialogue while skipping advertisements and routine podcast outro content for clarity and focus.