The Penguins' solution to their biggest problem is finally available, but time is running out

Connor Ingram is still sitting unsigned in August, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have exactly the kind of goaltending uncertainty that should be calling him.

Pittsburgh's crease already looks completely different heading into 2026-27 after Stuart Skinner left in free agency this offseason.

Skinner had arrived via a December 2025 trade with Edmonton, one that sent Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin the other way.

With Skinner gone, Pittsburgh signed Arturs Silovs to a one year extension worth $2,800,000, and he's currently projected as the 1A starter wearing number 37.

Sergei Murashov looks like the 1B option, earning that shot after a dominant Calder Cup playoff run, 15 games, one shutout, and a .931 save percentage for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Behind that tandem, Pittsburgh has real depth too, with Joel Blomqvist, Taylor Gauthier, and Gabriel D'Aigle all competing for AHL time this season.

Head coach Dan Muse has shown he likes a genuinely even split between his two goalies, running a strict 50-50 workload last season rather than leaning hard on one starter.

Muse's strict 50-50 split could make Ingram a smart add

That's exactly where Ingram becomes an interesting fit. At 29, he posted a 16-10-3 record with a .899 save percentage across 32 games last season, plus 2.03 goals saved above expected at five-on-five.

He wasn't spectacular in Edmonton, but he was steady, reliable enough that he actually won the starting job away from Jarry down the stretch and carried most of Edmonton's playoff workload.

It's honestly a little surprising nobody's signed him yet. Carolina, Pittsburgh, Florida, and Vegas all have some degree of goaltending uncertainty, whether it's health or inexperience, and Ingram fits as depth insurance for any of them.

For Pittsburgh specifically, adding him behind Silovs and Murashov would give Muse real flexibility if that strict 50-50 split runs into an injury or a slump from either goalie.

Murashov's NHL sample is still tiny, just 5 games and a .897 save percentage at the top level, meaning Pittsburgh is leaning heavily on AHL performance translating up.

Ingram wouldn't need to be a starter here. He'd just need to be the steady third option that keeps Pittsburgh from scrambling if either Silovs or Murashov hits a rough patch early.

He likely won't stay unsigned forever though. The more realistic path is probably a professional tryout once camp opens, or a deal that surfaces the moment another team's goaltender gets hurt.

For Pittsburgh, adding a proven, affordable veteran like Ingram costs almost nothing and directly addresses the one real question mark hanging over this crease heading into the season.