The Edmonton Oilers signed goaltender Connor Ungar today to a one-year, two-way contract carrying an AAV of $850,000.
The deal is a depth move, plain and simple. Ungar has been part of the Bakersfield Condors system and this signing keeps him in the organization's pipeline.
It's the kind of transaction that barely moves the needle on the surface. But context matters when you look at what this team's crease has looked like.
Tristan Jarry posted a .882 save percentage in 33 regular-season starts this past season. That number ranks among the worst for any starting-caliber goalie in the league.
Connor Ingram was the more reliable option, putting up a .898 save percentage across 32 appearances. He's a capable backup, not a franchise answer.
The Oilers went 41-30-11 this season and finished second in the Pacific Division. A club built around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should be a perennial contender, not a team leaking goals from bad goaltending.
Oilers eliminated by Anaheim after first-round collapse
Edmonton faced the Anaheim Ducks in the first round and lost the series four games to two. They dropped four of six, including a 7-4 loss in Game 3 on the road. The crease situation did nothing to calm anyone's nerves.
Calvin Pickard was also on the roster this season, appearing in 16 games and posting a .870 save percentage. Three goalies, none of them dominant.
Signing Ungar to a two-way deal means he'll almost certainly start next season in Bakersfield. The NHL half of a two-way contract at $850,000 is there as protection, not a promotion.
For GM Stan Bowman, the move is low-risk housekeeping. Lock in an organizational depth piece, maintain flexibility, move on.
The real story in Edmonton this summer isn't Ungar. It's whether Bowman goes out and upgrades the starting goalie situation before training camp.
Jarry, at $5.375 million against the cap, remains the question mark no one in Oil Country wants to answer.
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Should the Oilers move on from Tristan Jarry this summer and find a legitimate starter?
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