The Edmonton Oilers probably have one of the best offensive pieces in the league with the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl dominating the top line. But despite their offense, the franchise has a glaring weakness: its goaltending.
Fans thought this was about to change when rumors emerged that Edmonton had shown interest in acquiring a proven starter. However, those hopes were quickly dashed when an insider raised serious concerns about the potential addition.
Hockey Insider Dismisses Connor Ingram as Answer to Oilers’ Net Struggles
Despite having one of the league’s best offensive cores, the Oilers missed out on a Stanley Cup this past season because of their goaltending struggles. But this was about to change when the Utah Mammoth announced that they had put Connor Ingram on waivers on September 25.
The goalie, who had entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in March, was cleared to return in August. However, GM Bill Armstrong announced that Utah and Ingram had mutually agreed to part ways despite his clearance.
For the Oilers, it represented a prime opportunity to upgrade their goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Both netminders struggled during Edmonton’s playoff run, and fans believed Ingram could be the solution to their championship pursuit.
But despite rumors linking the Oilers to Ingram, the goalie cleared waivers unclaimed and will report to the AHL. While fans expressed disappointment, NHL insider Jim Matheson holds a completely different view on the situation.
In a recent tweet, he mentioned, “Ingram makes $2m. He played 22 games last season with an .882 save percentage in Utah. Explain how he is better than Pickard at half price?”
While many fans and experts had pushed for Ingram as Pickard’s replacement, Matheson remained skeptical. He noted that Pickard carries a much more affordable two-year, $2 million contract with a $1 million AAV.
At nearly half of Ingram’s $1.95 million AAV, Pickard also posted superior regular-season numbers with a .900 save percentage and 2.71 GAA in 36 games. His performance even surpassed Skinner’s during the postseason.
Compared to Skinner’s .889 SV% and a GAA of 3.00, Pickard delivered superior numbers with a 2.85 GAA and .886 save percentage in 10 playoff games. However, now that Ingram has cleared waivers, he will most likely join the Tucson Roadrunners, Utah’s AHL affiliate.
Not to mention, despite the Oilers starting the preseason with a 3-2 win over Winnipeg, they suffered a brutal 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on September 24. And Skinner’s struggles in front of the net were a big reason behind the loss.
With the upcoming season less than 10 days away and Skinner continuing to struggle against the likes of the Kraken, the fans are worried. And now with Ingram being out of the question, the Oilers’ goaltending woes continue without a proper solution.
