Tristan Jarry and Spencer Stastney will make their Edmonton Oilers debut tonight in Toronto and there’s a small belief that sometimes all it takes is a fresh start.

Whether that belief is justified remains to be seen.

Jarry is 9-3-1 in 14 games this season with a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage. Those are solid numbers. The 30-year-old former Edmonton Oil King and 2014 Memorial Cup champion was placed on waivers last January, spent time in the AHL, and has looked better this season. He started strong—five wins in his first six starts, seven in his first nine.

That’s encouraging. It’s also 14 games from a goalie who went 16-12-6 last season with a 3.12 GAA and .893 save percentage. His playoff track record is even worse—2-6 in eight games with a .891 save percentage and 3.00 GAA over three postseasons. Don’t forget; Pittsburgh was in a playoff spot when they traded him.

Stastney has dressed in 81 games over four seasons with the Nashville Predators including 30 games this season. The 25-year-old left-shot defender has registered a goal and eight assists while averaging 14:52 ice time per game. Stan Bowman emphasized Stastney’s mobility, quickness, and effectiveness on the penalty kill when explaining the acquisition.

He’s not Kulak, who yes, only has two assists in 31 games this season, but was excellent during last year’s playoffs. Stastney is younger with term remaining, but he’s also a depth defenseman with nine points over 30 games.

Saturday night in Toronto is a reasonable game so start the so-called trial period. The Maple Leafs are 14-11-5, nearly identical to Edmonton’s 14-11-6 record. Both teams are hovering around wildcard positions. Both need wins.

The question isn’t whether Jarry and Stastney are perfect solutions. The question is whether they’re marginally better than what Edmonton had. Skinner was 11-8-4 with a .891 save percentage and 2.83 GAA this season. Kulak was solid but in his early thirties.

Can Jarry maintain a .909 save percentage over a full season? Can Stastney provide comparable minutes to Kulak? Those are the realistic questions.

“I think it’s not so much a comment on Stuart Skinner, it’s just really maybe time for something different here,” Bowman said Friday. “But I think we wanted to make sure that the person we were bringing in, we felt confident.”

Confident enough to give up Skinner, Kulak, a second and third-round pick. That’s a significant price for a goalie who cleared waivers nine months ago and a depth defenseman.

Edmonton begins a five-game road trip Saturday on the first night of a back-to-back. Jarry will face his first test against a Maple Leafs team that’s as inconsistent as the Oilers. Stastney will get his first taste of the Oilers’ struggling D, and yah, he probably isn’t the solution.

The bar isn’t high. Jarry needs to be better than .891. Stastney needs to not be a liability. If both can manage that, the trades work. If Jarry reverts to last season’s form or if Stastney struggles with the transition, Edmonton just gave up a playoff-tested goalie and a reliable defenseman for marginal returns.

Jarry has two more years on his contract after this season at $5.375 million cap hit. The Oilers have committed to him as their starter for the next three playoff runs. Whether that stability translates to success starts Saturday night in Toronto.

Fresh faces. Fresh start. Realistic expectations.