Ottawa Intends to Scoop Oilers Goaltender in Free Agency

The Ottawa Senators are reportedly targeting Connor Ingram when free agency opens July 1. For Senators fans, chalk him down as the goalie that GM Steve Staios might see as the 1B upgrade the team needs. For Oilers fans, it’s time to be a bit concerned that they’ll have to overspend to keep a “maybe” or that another suitable goaltender might be heading out the door.

---

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Ingram is high on Ottawa’s wish list as they look to address their crease heading into next season. Ingram is 29, a proven NHL starter at his best, and is set to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent after a complicated couple of years that saw him battle personal loss, mental health challenges, and an organizational reset that eventually landed him in Edmonton’s system.

The Senators need a goalie. Ingram might be looking to get paid. Since the Oilers aren’t eager to overpay him, the fit in Ottawa makes obvious sense.

Garrioch writes:

“Veteran goaltender James Reimer, who was brought in with the club struggling to get saves in January, is still contemplating his future. He’s 38 years old, and the Senators haven’t closed the door on bringing him back, but know they need to stabilize the backup position behind Linus Ullmark. He has never played more than 50 games in his career and the No. 2 in Ottawa will have to start at least 35 games. There is a lot of talk that UFA Connor Ingram will be a target for the Senators on July 1.”

One could say that the Senators are looking to scoop Ingram. Then again, it sounds like Edmonton is apparently content to let him walk.

More Oilers Goaltending Concerns

The Oilers entered 2025-26 with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard as their tandem — the same combination that had taken them to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals but was widely viewed as having hit its peak. There wasn’t trust that either could push the Oilers over that final hurdle, so the Oilers made moves.

What followed was exactly what most people feared. After months of arguably league-worst goaltending and sitting outside a playoff spot past the quarter mark, the Oilers made a significant shakeup — acquiring Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh, sending Skinner and Brett Kulak the other way. They demoted Pickard to the AHL and picked up Ingram from the Utah Mammoth.

Jarry stabilized things for about five minutes. He got injured early and didn’t return to the same level, never quite finding his stride. Ingram wasn’t good in the AHL, but put up good numbers in a more structured NHL system. He was the goalie Edmonton went to in the playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers lost in the first round.

Now, the Oilers are entering this offseason with the same goaltending questions, just about two different goaltenders. Ingram was the pleasant surprise of the season, and GM Stan Bowman described him as “a great depth option”. That, however, is not the description you give a goalie you feel complete and total trust in.

Edmonton is looking to revamp its crease this summer, hoping that trading Darnell Nurse and moving other money will give it the funds to find a permanent solution. Ingram probably isn’t it, and now he’s set to walk out the door and into someone else’s arms — and quite possibly into a starting role.

This Could Leave the Oilers in a Bit of a Bind

The Ingram situation isn’t a catastrophic mistake — it’s more subtle than that. He wasn’t ready to play when Edmonton acquired him, and there’s no guarantee he ever fully recaptured his best form this season. Still, the Oilers might lose a 29-year-old goalie who was finding his way back. He was learning what it took to rebuild himself, and if he winds up taking another step next season, Edmonton may wish they’d hung onto him.

So too, there are limited options in free agency. Sergei Bobrovsky is the big name, with Frederik Andersen second. It’s not a given that making a big run at either will solve Edmonton’s problems. And, if the Oilers choose to retain Ingram, Ottawa’s interest likely means Edmonton will have to pay more than it would like to.

Next: NHL Weekend Rumors: Maple Leafs Next Coach, Nurse Trade, Larkin Leaving, Sens Plans