Nick Ellis announces retirement

Edmonton Oilers goalie prospect Nick Ellis announced via Instagram today that he’s retiring from professional hockey to pursue a career in coaching and education. Ellis was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

Hat tip to Oilersnation’s Good Content Boy Young Tyler Yaremchuk for the investigative work in finding Ellis’ announcement on Insta.

Ellis was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Providence College back in 2016. He spent two seasons with the Oilers organization with the Bakersfield Condors. He split the net with Laurent Brossoit and posted a 0.918 save percentage in 2016-17 but then struggled in 2017-18 posting a 0.898 save percentage.

Ellis’ two-year entry-level deal is expiring this summer and I assume that the Oilers let him know that he wasn’t going to be given a new deal. The team has goaltenders Cam Talbot, Mikko Koskinen, Al Montoya, Shane Starrett, Dylan Wells, and Stuart Skinner under contract heading into next year. Montoya will likely be moved, but it seems likely that Starrett (who spent last year in the ECHL) and Wells (who’s graduating from the CHL) will split the net in Bakersfield. If Montoya isn’t moved, he could be buried in the AHL as used as a mentor for Wells.