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Two former Oilers remain unsigned after a month of NHL free agency
Edmonton Oilers Connor Ingram
Photo credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Zach Laing
Jul 27, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 27, 2026, 14:40 EDT
It’s been nearly four weeks since free agency opened in the National Hockey League, and two members of last year’s Edmonton Oilers squad remain unsigned: Adam Henrique and Connor Ingram.
While it isn’t a major shock to see Henrique still without a home, it’s somewhat surprising to see Ingram remain unsigned. He had been linked to the Ottawa Senators ahead of free agency, and it seemed as though there would be a market for him.

Why is Connor Ingram still an unrestricted free agent?

After getting recalled by the Oilers in December, he posted the strongest numbers of any goalie last year for the team, with a .899 save percentage, a 2.60 goals-against average and a 16-10-3 record. He also posted a 63.3 percent quality start percentage, meaning his save percentage was above league average in nearly two-thirds of his starts.
“Connor Ingram is an interesting one to me. Like, what else does he have to do? His numbers have been well,” Daily Faceoff LIVE analyst and former NHL goalie Carter Hutton said earlier this month. “He played very good last year for the Edmonton Oilers. It didn’t work out. He’s the one where maybe did he have an offer on the table and he waited a little bit too long and he was the guy that got caught holding the bag when other guys took smaller deals or they went to their number two guy and got it?”

What were the top contract deals for NHL free-agent goalies?

The goalie market as a whole was somewhat of a flood, with all 21 of the goaltenders who were unrestricted free agents and had new deals signing within the first four days of free agency. The leaderboard in cap hit was led by Sergei Bobrovsky, signing a three-year, $7 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dan Vladar re-upping on a five-year, $5.5 million deal with the Philadelphia Flyers, and Stuart Skinner signing a two-year, $3.75 million deal with the Winnipeg Jets.
AFP Analytics, a website which projects future contracts, had projected a two-year deal carrying a $2.997 million for Ingram in free agency, which isn’t by any means a big price tag.
Ingram had joined the Oilers in a pre-season trade last fall, which saw the Utah Mammoth get back future considerations. He had to start his season in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors before joining the big club. Maybe that’s the route he’ll need to follow again.

What does the future hold for Adam Henrique?

Henrique, meanwhile, may have sailed for the last time in his NHL tenure.
The 36-year-old appeared in 65 games scoring three goals and 15 points last season, and posted the lowest five-on-five goal share of his career at just 34.8 per cent, which also coincides with a career low .882 on-ice save percentage. His individual impacts were surprisingly strong, according to HockeyViz, which had him contributing at the rate of a second-liner, thanks to defensive impacts eight per cent above league average and penalty kill impacts four per cent above league average.
He’s a player who could be in line for a professional tryout.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor and The Nation Network’s news director. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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