Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers Have Found a Hidden Gem in Connor Ungar
Connor Ungar has continued to impress at every stop in 2025-26.
Whenever the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending is drawing attention or headlines, it’s often for the wrong reasons, so it has to be nice for the organization and fanbase to watch such a great story play out with undrafted netminder Connor Ungar.
His journey has been a long one, having spent time in a multitude of different leagues — from the WHL and USports to the ECHL, where he’s played games even this year — and now the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors.
The one constant wherever Ungar has been of late: dominance. The Calgary, Alberta native has been almost unbeatable in 2025–26, and on Saturday night, he flashed some of his ability with a miraculous, sprawling cross-crease save to rob the Ontario Reign of what appeared to be a sure goal.
Bakersfield did wind up falling 4–3, though it’s hard to fault Ungar, who stopped 27 of 31 shots while his team was shorthanded eight times on the night.
The 24-year-old has gone 8-2-0 in 10 starts with the Condors, posting a sparkling 1.99 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage, and one shutout in the process. He’s in the final year of the two-year, $1.72 million deal he signed to join the Oilers in 2024, and will be RFA-eligible at season’s end.
When Will Connor Ungar Play for the Oilers?
As Ungar continues to dominate, the obvious question becomes: when will he get his chance in Edmonton? Fans are understandably eager to see what he can do at the NHL level, but they shouldn’t expect him to be an answer in the short term.
The best thing for both Ungar and the Oilers is to let him play out the season — and potentially a playoff run — in Bakersfield. After all, he has just 10 professional starts under his belt.
Assuming he maintains this strong play through the remainder of the year, Ungar will head into the 2026–27 season with a legitimate case to earn a spot in Edmonton. Given that both Connor Ingram and Calvin Pickard are set to become unrestricted free agents, the door is at least cracked open, and he has the opportunity to completely knock it down.
Tristan Jarry isn’t going anywhere, but that may actually be the ideal situation for Ungar. Breaking into the league alongside a proven veteran, rather than being thrust into a role where he’s immediately expected to carry the load, could provide the perfect environment for his development.
It’s still a small sample size, and plenty needs to unfold in the months ahead, but there’s little reason to believe Ungar’s trajectory won’t continue upward. An already impressive story could get even better — and for an Oilers team that’s loaded with superstar talent and always tight against the salary cap, uncovering hidden gems like this can be the difference in building a true championship roster.
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