The Edmonton Oilers face growing questions about their goaltending decisions after coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed Connor Ingram as the team’s current starting goalie. The announcement has also renewed debate about the earlier trade that brought Tristan Jarry to Edmonton.
Before the game against the Nashville Predators, Knoblauch said the Oilers will rely on the goalie who gives the team the best chance to win. Right now, that role belongs to Ingram.
“I think it’s a heavy workload to be giving Connor all those games,” Knoblauch said. “But yeah, right now Connor [Ingram] is our starting goalie. He will be getting the majority of the starts as of now until something changes.”
The Oilers acquired Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season in hopes of stabilizing their goaltending situation. The move ended the previous tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Edmonton believed Jarry could give dependable goaltending in the net, but that didn’t happen.
MORE: Doug MacLean drops hard truth on Oilers’ defence and goaltending
So far, Jarry’s results have not matched expectations. He has struggled to find consistent form since arriving in Edmonton. In 15 appearances, he holds a 7-6-1 record with a 4.17 goals-against average and an .855 save percentage.
Ingram has delivered stronger numbers during the same period. The goalie has recorded a 2.70 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage across 21 games. His steady play has pushed him into the clear starting role for the Oilers.
Now, the decision by general manager Stan Bowman to trade for Jarry has drawn criticism from some analysts. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe strongly questioned the trade that brought him to the Oilers.
“That trade was a fireable offense for Stan Bowman,” Yohe wrote on X. “And what makes it worse is that anyone who had been paying attention knew this to be the case on the day it was made.”
Earlier reporter Darren Haynes also critiqued the trade writing, “Tristan Jarry was waived and sent to the minors 14 months ago by Pittsburgh. Him not providing NHL-calibre goaltending this season really shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise. Let’s be honest, the only surprise is giving up Skinner, Kulak, and a second-round pick to get him.”
Meanwhile, Edmonton remains competitive in the Western Conference playoff race, thanks to Ingarm. The Oilers hold a 33-26-9 record and sit third in the Pacific Division with 75 points. However, their goaltending has left the door of uncertainty open about the team’s competence.
The Oilers’ offense is doing great with captain Connor McDavid now at 114 points this season. But they need to improve their defense and, primarily, their goaltending to strengthen their playoff push.
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