Why the Oilers traded for Connor Ingram instead of claiming him off waivers
With the Edmonton Oilers adding some goaltending depth, what’s next for the two-time defending Western Conference champions between the pipes?
On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers acquired goaltender Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth for future considerations, with Ingram heading straight to the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Putting Ingram in the minors is a great way for him to find his game, especially since he hasn’t played since last February. In March, he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and was cleared to return to team activities late last month.
What might be a head-scratcher for Oilers fans is that Ingram was placed on waivers last week. However, there might be a method to general manager Stan Bowman’s madness.
On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton explain why the Oilers didn’t simply claim Ingram off waivers, and whether he can make an impact for Edmonton if called upon.
Tyler Yaremchuk: This makes sense from a whole bunch of different perspectives…For Edmonton, it made no sense to claim Connor Ingram because then they’d have to keep him in the NHL and waive Calvin Pickard. I don’t think they want to disrupt their room in that way at all…Wait for him to clear, and then you go to Utah and you say, ‘Hey, he’s $1.8 million The Oilers couldn’t have afforded a backup goalie at $1.8 million. They can afford a backup goalie at $1 million, though. So, now that Ingram has cleared, the Oilers get the $800,000 retention from Utah. Utah, while it would have been nice to have him totally off their books if he was claimed on waivers. He wasn’t. You retain $800,000, but you actually lose $1 million in real money.
It’s $1 million your owner doesn’t have to pay out, and the cap hit is deadweight $800,000. It’s actually the same as if he was sitting in the minors. So, it’s no-loss for Utah, really. It’s a bit of a gain, financially, for Edmonton. Now, they can take Ingram, put him right in Bakersfield, and then, as soon as one of their two goalie struggles at some point in the season, they can point to Ingram, bring him up. He’d be the same cap it as Calvin Pickard and, boom, it looks like the Oilers are doing something between the pipes…Can Connor Ingram be an answer for the Oilers this season?
Carter Hutton: I think if there’s an injury and something happens, he can come in. He can step in. He’s a guy that’s played NHL minutes. He’s been in tough situations. A guy who’s kind of had to fight back in his career…When I look at this goalie and the way he plays, his abilities, I don’t see him much higher than a Calvin Pickard….I think there is stability with the experience. But that being said, at the end of the day…all eyes are on Stuart Skinner. If they plan to get to the promised land, it’s going to be him stepping in over the top. So you can never have enough depth in this position.
I still think there is some upside to Connor Ingram. I think there’s a potential for him to improve and play a little better, and kind of fine-tune that. … There’s going to be a bit of demand on him in the American Hockey League to get his game back where it needs. But right now, he’s a bit of a safety net if someone gets hurt.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…