Does Goalie Puck-Handling Still Matter in the NHL? Tristan

Every hockey fan knows the kind of play this starts with. Nothing flashy. No horn. No replay ten times on the broadcast. Just a moment where you lean forward and think, yeah, that mattered. That was Tristan Jarry last night (Edmonton vs. Pittsburgh). Short-handed, under pressure, he went back behind his net, settled the puck, and calmly sent it up high and all the way down the ice. No scrambling. No panic. Just a smart, confident play that bought his team time and flipped the pressure the other way.

Plays like that don’t show up in the box score, but fans notice them. And they bring up an old question worth asking again: Does a goalie’s puck-handling skill set still matter in today’s NHL?

When Goalies Were Part of the Play

For fans who’ve been around a while, this isn’t a new conversation. There was a time when a goalie’s puck-handling skill set was truly an effective tool for teams. Ron Hextall was one of the first goalies who made teams nervous every time they dumped the puck in. Martin Brodeur took that idea and ran with it. He was so effective at killing forechecks that the league literally changed the rules, adding the trapezoid to keep goalies from roaming too freely behind the net. Likewise, both Marty Turco and Mike Smith built reputations the same way—smart reads, clean passes, and an ability to act like a third defenseman when it mattered.

Evidently, great puck-handling wasn’t a bonus. It was part of what made those goalies special.

Why Jarry’s Game Feels Familiar

That’s why Jarry’s puck-handling skill set stands out. He looks comfortable back there. He takes a second. He reads the pressure. And makes the right decision. He’s also one of the rare goaltenders to have scored an NHL goal (Jarry, in fact, has scored two NHL goals)—a small club that tells you everything you need to know about his confidence with the puck around the NHL crease. But it’s the little things that matter more. Stopping a rim cleanly. Making a quick clear on the penalty kill. Saving a defenseman from getting crushed on a long shift.

Goalie Puck-Handling: Still Important, Just Quieter

Today’s NHL is fast, tight, and built on transitions. Teams track every zone exit and every second spent defending. A goalie who can help move the puck, effectively and efficiently—even once or twice a game—can make a real difference. Puck-handling might not be front and center anymore for goalies, but it hasn’t disappeared. It’s just waiting to be noticed.

And when you see Tristan Jarry make a play that settles things down (like he did against the Penguins on December 16, 2025), it’s a reminder: sometimes the smartest thing a goalie does doesn’t look like a save at all.