It’s no secret that the Edmonton Oilers have had a goaltending problem for many years. They eventually traded their homegrown talent in Stuart Skinner, acquiring Tristan Jarry in the process, to help solidify the crease. They also called up Connor Ingram from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) after Jarry went down with an injury.
Now, Jarry is back, and the Oilers currently have three goalies on the roster: Jarry, Ingram, and Calvin Pickard. The Oilers’ goalie pool is getting crowded in the minors, so the organization should keep all three on the roster until after the Olympic break. If Pickard or Ingram clear waivers, they will create a log jam in Bakersfield and take opportunities away from their younger netminders, most notably, Connor Ungar.
Related: Oilers Face Goalie Dilemma With Jarry About to Return From Injury
Ungar is an older prospect at 24 years old, but has taken a unique path to get here. He started the season in the ECHL, but got called up to the Condors after Ingram joined the big club. The 6-foot, 190-pounder has been magnificent since joining the Condors, posting a 5-0-0 record with a 1.38 goals-against average (GAA) and a sparkling .953 save percentage (SV%). He has seemingly emerged from nowhere and put the organization on notice.
Connor Ungar Has Had an Incredible Journey
Ungar started his junior career with the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), only playing two games for them. He also played one season with the Whitecourt Wolverines in the AJHL. He went undrafted in the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Bantam Draft, but signed with the Brandon Wheat Kings as a free agent. The Calgary native played parts of five seasons in the WHL, with three different teams, including the Wheat Kings, Red Deer Rebels, and Moose Jaw Warriors.
Following his successful junior career, he went undrafted in the NHL, eventually committing to Brock University in U Sports, the same school that Washington Capitals’ goaltender Logan Thompson attended. In 26 games with Brock University, Ungar registered an impressive 20-6-0 record with a 2.15 GAA and a .932 SV%. That led to him signing his first professional contract with the Oilers in 2024.
From there, he played for the Fort Wayne Comets of the ECHL during the 2024-25 season, posting a 2.74 GAA and a .903 SV% in 35 games. However, he has struggled to get playing time this season. As a result, he has dressed for three different ECHL teams alone, including the Comets, Greensboro Gargoyles, and Orlando Solar Bears. He didn’t play more than five games on any of those teams, and only 11 in total, but his numbers were stellar.
He had a GAA under 1.70 and a SV% over .943 with all three ECHL teams. That’s impressive, and it demonstrates his ability to adapt to various environments. Finally, he got the promotion to the AHL and has looked even better in his small sample size.
Is Ungar a Solution in Edmonton?
Can Ungar be the goalie of the future? While his professional numbers are from a small sample size, his dominance can’t be ignored. He has excelled at every level he has played. He hasn’t had a SV% below .900 since his three-game experiment with the Wheat Kings during the 2019-20 season, when he had an .892 SV%. The undrafted netminder has been the epitome of consistency throughout his career, and his stats are borderline elite.
If he can sustain this success for the rest of the AHL season, he deserves a long look during training camp next season. The Oilers have clamoured for consistency between the pipes, and Ungar has been exactly that. He has only played 16 games with his four different teams this season. So, he has proven that he can be successful with staggered starts. Therefore, he could thrive in a backup role behind Jarry next season.
It’s imperative to add a goalie prospect to the organization every year, either through the draft or free agency. Goalies develop differently, so you never know when you’ll strike gold. Therefore, you must take chances in hopes of finding your future goaltender.
Did the Oilers find a diamond in the rough, or is it too soon to tell? Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
