With Tristan Jarry’s status in limbo, Penguins recall G Maxime Lagace to taxi squad

Chris Adamski
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 3:51 p.m. | Tuesday, March 30, 2021 3:51 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Goalie Maxime Lagace faces a shot from Sidney Crosby during a Pittsburgh Penguins practice last month at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. Lagace was recalled to the Penguins’ taxi squad Tuesday, and if Tristan Jarry misses time, Lagace would figure to serve as Casey DeSmith’s backup.

In a move that otherwise might be swept aside among the torrent of procedural transactions the Pittsburgh Penguins execute on a seemingly daily basis in navigating the salary cap during this coronavirus-affected season, the recall of Maxime Lagace to the taxi squad Tuesday is notable because of the unknown status of starting goalie Tristan Jarry.

Lagace has 17 games of NHL experience and likely is the Penguins’ best option in the short term as a backup to Casey DeSmith should Jarry miss games.

Jarry did not play after the first intermission of the Penguins’ win against the New York Islanders on Monday. After the game, coach Mike Sullivan only said Jarry was being evaluated for an upper-body injury.

The Penguins were off Tuesday with no media availability.

The 28-year-old Lagace has a 3.92 career goals-against average and .868 save percentage in 17 games (15 starts), all for the Vegas Golden Knights from 2017-19. In six games this season for the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Lagace is 3-2-2 with 1.98 GAA and a .920 save percentage.

Maxime Lagace is no stranger to being the third goaltender in an NHL’s hierarchy. Much of his professional existence has come with that designation, or even lower. #Penguins @SethRorabaugh https://t.co/ill2cT1Mwl

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) December 23, 2020

Lagace is in his first year with the organization. The team signed him as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason to a one-year two-way deal worth $700,000.

The Penguins practice Wednesday before playing at the Boston Bruins on Thursday and Saturday.

During March, DeSmith is 4-1-0 with a 0.89 GAA and .969 save percentage in six games.

Emil Larmi already was a goalie on the taxi squad, a designation created for this season to help teams manage roster complications arising from covid-19 protocols. But the extent of North American professional experience for the 24-year-old Larmi is limited to 15 AHL games and 11 for Wheeling of the ECHL in 2019-20.

Larmi briefly was on the Penguins’ bench Monday after Jarry left the game, but rules would have allowed him to play only if both of the team’s goalies were incapacitated.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.

Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.