Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard’s performance during the Stanley Cup finals triggered a common concern across Oil Country: Are they the best possible options for the Edmonton Oilers regarding goaltenders? Fans have dominated the offseason with appeals to Oilers management to acquire a new netminder if the team wants to keep its playoff aspirations alive.
However, in a fascinating turn of events, the team has acquired goalie Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth, days after Ingram went unclaimed after being put on waivers. The Mammoth will retain $800,000 of the goalie’s $1.95 million AAV. However, given his history of illness and personal struggles, why did the Oilers decide to take the leap with Ingram?
What Went Behind the Connor Ingram-Edmonton Oilers Trade?
Not long ago, in the 2023-24 season, the netminder won the Masterton Trophy: an honor that acknowledges a player’s perseverance and dedication to the sport. Of course, Ingram’s dedication is established beyond any doubt, given his continued desire to show up despite his mental health battles.
In 2021, Ingram entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program for his depression. Ingram’s struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which, back then, had been undiagnosed. It is truly a miracle for him to bounce back after such obstacles, but he did. However, it makes little sense for a team to take its chance with him, especially when you are hungry to redeem your image after two consecutive Stanley Cup failures.
Yet Edmonton saw potential in Ingram and decided to give him a shot. Interestingly, the Oilers did not claim him off waivers but struck a trade with the Mammoth to acquire him days later. Ingram needed to start afresh, and the Oilers were willing to give him just that. “Everyone needs support at one time or another. Right now, he’s just excited to be getting a fresh start,” stated Stan Bowman, as reported by Mark Spector for Sportsnet.
Bowman was glad to offer Ingram the support he might have needed after a lengthy battle off ice. Believing that everyone goes through ups and downs, the Oilers GM expressed his faith in the netminder: “When I talked to him, I just said, ‘Hey, we’re here. We believe in you. We’re here to get you back and get your career going again.’ And he was very thankful to hear that.”
At this point, Ingram is not only playing but also with a team that has some serious chances of lifting a Cup sometime in the future. Calling his illness a “nagging injury,” Ingram has stated in the past that he is aware that it’s a lifelong commitment to look after himself. “If you don’t take care of it, it’s going to get worse. For the rest of my life, I’ll sit in a stranger’s chair and tell them my problems once a week. It’s just a fact of my life.”
As the Oilers gear up for the next season, could Ingram finally end the team’s goalie woes with the right kind of support and guidance?
Wow. I thought he had real issues. I didnt realize it was just the usual crybaby generations b.s.
And NO mental health professional would ever recommend a geographic location change as a means to help with a mental issue outside of seasonal depression.
Depression and OCD arent things you can run from lol
The last time they invested in a goalie with mental problems we watched his career fly off a cliff in real time, and Skinner was ironically the solution to that whole Jack Campbell disaster.
Hope this stab in the dark works out a little better…