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Sending Connor Ingram to the AHL would be the wrong decision for the Oilers
Edmonton Oilers Connor Ingram
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 16, 2026, 15:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 16, 2026, 14:43 EST
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For a team that has needed consistent goaltending, it sure would be a poor decision for the Edmonton Oilers to send Connor Ingram down.
With Tristan Jarry being activated off the long-term injured reserve this week, the Oilers have three goaltenders on the roster, with Calvin Pickard being the third. Obviously, Jarry is going nowhere, and Pickard must be placed on waivers if the Oilers wish to send him to the American Hockey League. Until Saturday, the Oilers can send Ingram down without him needing to clear waivers.
Ingram has already been on waivers once this season, meaning that he needs to spend 30 days on a NHL roster (called up on Dec. 19) or play 10 games before he is once again eligible to be placed on waivers. But sending him down just because he doesn’t need waivers at the moment would be foolish, simply put.
Ingram has played eight games for the Oilers this season, and the Imperial, Sask. native has posted a .907 save percentage, a 2.49 goals against average and a 4-3-1 record, finishing with a save percentage above .900 in seven of those eight starts. It’s given him an 87.5 quality start percentage, a league-leading mark among all netminders to appear in a game, meaning he’s posted a save percentage above league average, or at least an .885 save percentage on nights with or fewer shots against, in seven starts.
The exception was a game against the Boston Bruins on Dec. 31, where Ingram allowed six goals on 29 shots for a .793 save percentage. That one game drags his save percentage down a ton, because removing it from the equation would give him a .925 save percentage in the six other games.
Pickard has proven to be a serviceable backup over the past three seasons, but his play has taken a hit this season. Through 16 games, he has an .871 save percentage and 3.68 goals against average, with a 5-6-2 record. Pickard has been better over the last two months or so, posting an .896 save percentage since Nov. 20, but there still have been five four-goal games in those nine games.
Looking at the under-the-hood stats, Ingram’s 1.5 goals saved above expected (GSAx) is nothing special, but it’s far better than Pickard’s -3.5 GSAx. Of the three, Tristan Jarry’s 4.7 GSAx is the best, but he has an .878 save percentage and 3.28 goals against average in four games since the trade.
It’s also worth comparing Ingram and Pickard’s cap hits. The Oilers are currently cap compliant, but that’ll change when Adam Henrique is eligible to come off the long-term injured reserve, which sounds like it will come after the Olympic break. Andrew Mangiapane will likely be traded by that point, but the Oilers may still need to make a move or two to make that work.
Sending down a goalie is the obvious move, but Pickard and Ingram’s cap hit are just slightly different. Thanks to the Utah Mammoth retaining 41.03% of Ingram’s original cap hit, he has an annual average value of $1.15 million with the Oilers, just $150,000 more than Pickard’s $1 million cap hit.
For a team that was struggling for solid goaltending performances earlier in the season, sending Ingram down just because he doesn’t need waivers at the moment would be foolish and shouldn’t even be a question. In fact, the question should be whether he should be starting the lion share of the games.
Ingram should be up for the remainder of the season, and it shouldn’t even be a discussion.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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