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NHL Notebook: Mammoth plan to waive goaltender Connor Ingram
Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram
Photo credit: © Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Sep 17, 2025, 20:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 17, 2025, 20:07 EDT
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A new netminder is available.
During the Utah Mammoth’s training camp availability, general manager Bill Armstrong noted that the team will look to find netminder Connor Ingram a new opportunity.
It’s been speculated throughout the off-season that the Edmonton Oilers are looking for a netminder, either to take over as the starter from Stuart Skinner or a 1A/1B situation with Skinner.
So, is Connor Ingram a fit?
Ingram hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and played his three junior seasons with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. After a strong draft year, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft.
After spending four seasons between the ECHL and American Hockey League, Ingram made his debut with the Nashville Predators in the 2021-22 season, playing three games while spending most of the year with their AHL affiliate. Ingram also played four postseason games, finishing with a .913 save percentage and 3.64 goals against average as the Predators were swept.
Ingram finally got a chance at some significant action in 2022-23, where he posted a .907 save percentage and 3.37 goals against average in 27 games with the Arizona Coyotes. Moreover, he finished with a 3.7 Goals Saved Above Expected.
The Saskatoon native’s best season by far was in 2023-24, also with the Coyotes. Playing 50 games, Ingram finished with a .907 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average, posting a record of 23-21-3. Ingram finished the season with an 8.3 GSAE, ninth-best for any netminder with 50 or more games played.
Ingram didn’t have the best of seasons when the Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City. In 22 games, the 28-year-old posted an .882 save percentage and 3.27 goals against average. In early March, Ingram entered the player assistance program and didn’t play another game for the Mammoth. Overall, he finished with an -11.6 GSAE, sixth-worst in the league.
Finding a goaltender is easier said than done, especially one who can start and put up good numbers. There is risk involved, but a goaltender who has put up good performances in the past tends to be a good bet, think Darcy Kuemper or Anthony Stolarz in recent times. Acquiring Ingram also adds to their surplus of players named Connor, as Connor Brown departed for the New Jersey Devils.
One area of concern for the Oilers is their cap situation, as they have just under $226,000 in space remaining. The good news is that Ingram carries a cap hit of a little under $2 million, meaning the Oilers can get under the salary cap by sending money back or sending players to the American Hockey League.
Is Ingram the solution to the goaltending woes? It’s possible, but it’s worth taking a flier on the 28-year-old. 

Other News and Notes From Around the NHL

  • The Calgary Flames have signed captain Mikael Backlund to a two-year extension carrying a $3.25 million AAV. Announced Sept. 17, the deal keeps the 36-year-old center in Calgary as he enters his 18th NHL season and third as captain. Backlund posted 15 goals and 32 points in 76 games in 2024-25 and remains a reliable two-way presence who has finished top-10 in Selke voting three times. A first-round pick in 2007 (24th overall), he has spent his entire career with the Flames, compiling 215 goals and 563 points across 1,066 games, plus 22 points in 42 playoff contests. His current contract at $4.5 million runs through 2025-26. He became eligible to extend on July 1, and this pact lines him up to help bridge the franchise into its new arena era.
  • The Colorado Avalanche opened camp with a few injuries to manage. Head coach Jared Bednar said goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is week-to-week but should be ready near the start of the season, while defenseman Sam Girard has a lower-body issue that will sideline him during camp, yet still leaves him in the mix for opening night. Winger Logan O’Connor’s hip injury is more significant; he’s expected to miss the entire preseason with a target return around early November. With Blackwood out, 33-year-old Scott Wedgewood is the only signed NHL netminder available, though Kyle Keyser, Trent Miner, Mathis Langevin, and Isak Poch are also in camp. Bednar expressed confidence that Wedgewood can shoulder a bigger load to open the year. Last season, Blackwood appeared in 37 games for Colorado after arriving from San Jose, Wedgewood played 19, Girard logged 78 games (3G, 24P), and O’Connor 80 (10G, 21P).
  • Brad Marchand was blunt about why Florida kept its Cup core together: the no-income-tax advantage. At the Panthers’ season-opening presser, he said, “If we were not in a non-tax state, it wouldn’t have worked out… two guys probably would have been leaving,” referring to himself, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad. All three re-upped below outside expectations after the Cup win: Marchand at six years, $5.25M AAV; Bennett at eight years, $8M AAV; and Ekblad at eight years, $6.1M AAV. Marchand added he isn’t chalking Florida’s success only up to taxes, noting many no-tax clubs are also well-run, pointing to recent deep runs and titles by Tampa Bay, Vegas, and Dallas alongside Florida’s back-to-back Cups.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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