How Connor Ingram could shake up Edmonton Oilers' goaltending situation
The Edmonton Oilers have shaken up their goaltending ahead of the new season, but how will things actually change with the arrival of Connor Ingram?
Oilers GM Stan Bowman was adamant over the summer that the team was confident with an NHL tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard going into the season. He brought in Matt Tomkins to round out the AHL goaltending, and prospects like Samuel Jonsson, Nathanial Day, and Connor Ungar seemed to round out the organization’s goalie depth.
Yet, with just seven days left before the regular season is set to start, the team opted to trade for Ingram, who has experience as an NHL starter. So, what happens next?
Will Ingram crack Oilers’ opening night lineup?
It’s easy to see the Oilers make this trade and assume that Ingram will jump straight onto the NHL roster to replace Pickard as the backup goalie, but it isn’t that easy.
The 28-year-old is coming off a brutal season in Utah that saw him appear in just 22 NHL games before he took a leave of absence to enroll in the league’s player assistance program. On top of losing his mother in December, Ingram also has a history of OCD, making last season incredibly difficult for him to perform at a high level.
He has since left that program and is ready to resume his career with Edmonton, but he will need some time. Ingram has not participated in an NHL training camp this season and will not be game-ready when the Oilers open the regular season on Oct. 8.
The reality is that, at first, not much is likely to change for the Oilers when it comes to their opening night lineup. After being acquired, Ingram was immediately sent to the AHL, where he is expected to start the season with the Bakersfield Condors.
Ingram can be a solid NHL goaltender, but fans will need to be patient as he works his way back into game form.
Will he play NHL games in Edmonton?
Just because Ingram won’t be on the Oilers’ opening night lineup doesn’t mean that he won’t eventually make his way into the Edmonton crease.
The ball is now in Ingram’s court, and he will have to show management that he can get back to being a reliable NHL-quality goaltender. To do that, the Saskatchewan native will have to perform with the Condors at a consistent clip.
Edmonton bought some insurance with Ingram, with Utah retaining $800,000 of his $1.95 million cap hit. This means that the Oilers can bury the entirety of Ingram’s cap hit in the AHL if things don’t work out this season, and then let him go into free agency next summer.
Bowman and the Oilers are under no obligation to give Ingram any NHL time, and the trade they made for him was as low-risk as you can get. It won’t be handed to him solely on merit, and he will have to force Edmonton’s hand for a call-up.
Considering his history, it’s a good bet that he will appear in at least a few NHL games.
How does this change things?
If Ingram isn’t in the lineup to start the season and isn’t guaranteed NHL playing time, then what does his acquisition really change?
The biggest thing this trade does is put pressure on Skinner and Pickard to perform. Over the past few seasons, the Oilers have put themselves in a position where they absolutely needed one of those goalies to perform, or else they would have no other suitable option.
Prospect goalie Olivier Rodrigue was the third option in Edmonton last season, and he had next to no NHL experience to carry with him. That was unacceptable for a Stanley Cup-contending team, and it wound up being no help when both goalies struggled.
With Ingram in the fold, suddenly an NHL job is on the line for both Skinner and Pickard. This is a goalie who is one season removed from being an NHL starter in Arizona and is hungry to prove that he still belongs at the top level.
If there is a stumble to start the new season, those guys won’t be able to coast on the fact that no other options are coming to replace them. The pressure is on for those two to prove that they can be a viable goaltending tandem for a Stanley Cup contender.
If they can’t do that, Ingram will be waiting in the wings.