Utah’s Connor Ingram still ‘not close’ to returning to lineup

When speaking to the media on Monday, Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny was asked about the timeline for goaltender Connor Ingram’s return to the lineup.

“He’s not close,” Tourigny said.

Ingram is currently on the injured list with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old has been listed as day-to-day since Nov. 20, just a couple of days after his last appearance, allowing four goals on 13 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. It has not been specified what exactly Ingram is ailing from, but it is enough to keep him out for potentially a month.

Ingram has made 13 appearances so far in his “new” digs, posting a 6-4-3 record with a 3.61 goals-against average and an .871 save percentage. His last victory came on Nov. 7 against the St. Louis Blues. Ingram is coming off a great 2023-24 season where he set a career-high in wins (23), finishing tied for third in the NHL in shutouts (6). He was also awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The Saskatoon native is in the second season of his three-year contract that he signed with the team when they were known as the Arizona Coyotes in June 2023. The deal carries a $1.95 million cap hit through the 2025-26 campaign.

In Ingram’s absence, Utah has relied on Karel Vejmelka and Jaxson Stauber. Vejmelka has gone 2-2-1 since Ingram was put on the shelf, improving his record to 3-6-1 with a 2.41 GAA and .917 SV%. Stauber has played just once, posting a 29-save shutout against the Vegas Golden Knights this past Saturday.

Utah HC (10-10-4) is tied for fifth in the Central Division with the Blues. Both teams are four points out of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. UHC is set to host the Dallas Stars on Monday night.