The Utah Mammoth should not trade Connor Ingram.
In a recent news mailbag article from James Mirtle of The Athletic, he suggested Ingram as a trade target for the Edmonton Oilers (from ‘Pain for Maple Leafs and Sabres fans, no-tax states and more: Mirtle mailbag, Part 3,’ The Athletic, Aug. 27, 2025). With Ingram now cleared by the NHL and NHL Players Association to return to hockey after spending the majority of last season in the Players’ Assistance Program, it makes sense people would look at the Mammoth and think they have a surplus of goalies when Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek are factored into the mix.
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However, a healthy Ingram will be extremely valuable to this team, and Mammoth management should not be interested in moving any of their goaltenders.
Connor Ingram’s History
Ingram was no stranger to the benefits of the NHL’s Player Assistance Program when entering last season. Earlier in his career, Ingram had spent some time in the program in 2021. Following his return to play, he established himself as a full-time goaltender in the NHL for the first time with the Arizona Coyotes, starting 27 games in the 2022-23 season.
Then, in the 2023-24 season, not only was Ingram a full-time goalie in the NHL, but he also took over the starting role for the Coyotes. He finished the season with a .907 save percentage (SV%), plus-5.02 goals saved above expected, and tied the league lead for shutouts. For his season-long performance, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given to “the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey”.
After making the move from Arizona to Utah, Ingram struggled to adjust as his mother was battling breast cancer. She ended up losing her life, which would have understandably contributed to his struggles last season.
Mammoth Have a Surplus of Inconsistent Goaltending
When saying the Oilers should target Ingram in a trade, Mirtle said that the Mammoth “potentially have extra goalies”. This may be true if you’re looking at it from a pure body standpoint. However, the Mammoth should have concerns about every single goalie on their roster.
For starters, if the Mammoth were to trade Ingram, that would likely mean they have to commit to Vanecek as their backup goaltender. While he has had success at times throughout his career, he has been one of the worst goalies in the NHL over the past two seasons, posting a .887 SV% and allowing 23.2 goals to be scored on him above the expected number.
Finally, the Mammoth have Vejmelka, who was phenomenal for Utah in their inaugural season but has struggled in previous seasons, and entered last season having allowed 31.6 goals to be scored on him above expected.
Karel Vejmelka Wore Down in 2024-25 Season
Vejmelka began last season backing up Ingram. However, he came out of the gates on fire and started to take over the starting job, following a mid-November performance where he made 49 saves on 50 shots to help Utah secure a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Shortly after taking the starting job, Ingram went out with an injury before going into the Player Assistance Program. This left Vejmelka as Utah’s only proven NHL goaltender, and head coach Andre Tourigny had no choice but to overwork him, as the team remained in playoff contention until late in the season.
From Feb. 23 on, Vejmelka made 24 of 25 starts for Utah, which included a stretch of 23 straight. Despite it being needed, you could see Vejmelka wearing down towards the end of the season. Before the calendar flipped to 2025, Vejmelka posted a .916 SV%, fifth in the NHL, a .842 high-danger save percentage, 10th in the NHL, and had saved plus-9.68 goals above expected, seventh in the NHL among goalies to play 300 minutes from the start of the season to the new calendar year.
This is compared to Vejmelka having a .896 SV%, 42nd among qualified goalies, a negative-4.07 goals saved above expected, 50th among qualified, and a .742 high-danger save percentage, 67th among the 70 goalies who played 300 minutes or more following the calendar flipping to the new year until the end of the regular season (via Natural Stat Trick).
The Mammoth Need a Strong Tandem to Make the Playoffs
Halfway through the 2024-25 season, you could have put Vejmelka in a position where he would have likely received Vezina Trophy votes. While his history leading up to last season was rough, Vejmelka demonstrated his reliability as a starting goalie last season and showed that he can be one of the better ones in the league when given proper rest.
If the Mammoth were to trade Ingram and rely on Vanecek, there is no guarantee that he can give the Mammoth consistent starts, and they could end up in the same position they were in last season, having to overwork Vejmelka.
While there is also no guarantee Ingram can come back and snap out of his struggles and replicate his 2023-24 season again. However, with him on the roster, it gives the Mammoth options to start the season. With Vanecek there to challenge Ingram, and Ingram likely to challenge Vejmelka for his starting job back, the internal competition could elevate the games of all three players.
Currently, the Mammoth have numerous question marks surrounding their goaltenders. Ingram’s stock being as low as it has been since establishing himself in the NHL, it would not be smart for the Mammoth to get rid of a guy who has proven to be a capable starting goaltender before establishing how strong their tandem will be this season.
