Oilers’ goalie issues complicated by contracts for Connor Ingram, Tristan Jarry originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Edmonton Oilers‘ season wasn’t a disappointment only because of their goalie play.
But as it came to a close on Thursday night, plenty of fans likely felt that Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry, and those that came before them, hadn’t really helped the cause in net.
It definitely raises the question this offseason of whether something can be done to improve the performance between the pipes.
It’ll only be made tougher by the current contract setup for those two goalies.
Down the stretch, Ingram was the guy who played better. But he’s the one set to be an unrestricted free agent. This was the last year of his contract, earning $1.15 million, and if the Oilers want to keep him, they’ll have to find a new deal for him.
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Jarry, on the other hand, is still under contract. He’s due $5.38 million in both 2026-27 and 2027-28 before becoming a free agent after that.
Given Jarry’s struggles following his acquisition from the Pittsburgh Penguins, it’s not obvious the Oilers would want to go into next season with him as their starting goalie. But they also probably would have a tough time dealing him on his current contract, so they’re probably stuck with him.
And if they want a new guy, maybe that means they can’t also get Ingram a new contract.
Certainly, it’ll be a little complicated. Jarry played worse in Edmonton than he had before a trade brought him to town, so does that speak to a need for defensive improvements, too? Probably
In reality, there’s a lot of work Edmonton has to do. The goalie contracts aren’t helping, though.