Ray Shero liked Tristan Jarry.
A lot.
Enough that he traded up in the 2013 NHL Draft to be able to claim Jarry, which Shero figured was a good move to get a guy who could be the franchise's goalie of the future.
Well, Shero's projection finally has worked out.
Jarry got a three-year contract with a salary-cap hit of $3.5 million from the Penguins Saturday and, more important, an endorsement from Jim Rutherford as the Penguins' undisputed No. 1 goalie.
"Yes, he is," Rutherford said. "He was good last year. We've got him settled into a three-year contract that works for our cap and he deserves this opportunity."
Fair enough, but it took a bit longer than some might have anticipated for Jarry to take over the top spot after Shero traded Tyler Kennedy to San Jose for a second-round choice, then packaged that pick with a third-rounder to get the second-round selection from Columbus that he invested in Jarry seven years ago.
Nonetheless, Jarry said he has no issues with the winding path this career has followed.
"It was just the development route that they wanted me to take," he said. "They wanted me to play in the American Hockey League, and I was very happy to play in Wilkes-Barre. I love playing there."
And the Penguins clearly loved the way Jarry played in Pittsburgh last season, his first full one in the NHL.
He entered 2019-20 as Matt Murray's backup, but ended it as the winner in the head-to-head competition with Murray to be the Penguins' go-to goalie next season. Jarry secured the No. 1 job by going 20-11-4, with a 2.43 goals-against average an .921 save percentage.
Both were restricted free agents, but it was Jarry who got a contract, while the Penguins continue to solicit and entertain offers for Murray, who could be traded before or during the draft that will be held Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rutherford declined to predict whether such a deal could be worked out in the next few days, and said it is difficult to determine whether the league-wide goaltending picture is getting clearer or more murky, with numerous goalies available and quite a few teams shopping for a new one.
"You hear that some goalies are available from teams, then some goalies are available, and then a week later they're not," he said. "There's certainly a logjam of goalies, but we have a goalie (to offer) who's in his mid-20s and he's won two Stanley Cups. You would think there is a team that would like his services.
"But we're in different times now. We're dealing with the cap -- a flat cap, there's not as much cap space -- and a lot of different things. It's not a normal year, so it's very difficult to predict what is going to happen."
Rutherford said he has had only cursory contract discussions with Murray's camp, and that he expects to extend a qualifying offer in the next few days to retain his rights. If Murray isn't traded, he is expected to file for arbitration later in the offseason.
Murray's final chance to reclaim the top spot came during the qualifying-round postseason series against Montreal, but the Penguins' future course became obvious when he was benched in favor of Jarry for Game 4.
And any doubts that might have been lingering then disappeared when Jarry got his new contract.
"To be able to stay in Pittsburgh for three more years, it's a dream come true," Jarry said. "I love playing for Pittsburgh and I love the city. It's been a great fit for me and my family. I've had a lot of fun there, and I think it will be great moving forward."
