Stan Bowman made it clear the Edmonton Oilers will take a hard look at their goaltending after a disappointing end to the 2025-26 NHL season. Speaking after a first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks, the general manager pointed to goaltending as an area that needs answers before next year.
“Yeah, well, you’re right, we only have one goalie signed,” Bowman said. “We have to evaluate that… we’re looking for improvement in that area for sure.”
Edmonton’s season ended with a 4-2 series loss, where inconsistent netminding undercut a roster already dealing with injuries to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The front office had already reshaped the position mid-season, moving Stuart Skinner and bringing in Tristan Jarry, but the results fell short.
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Bowman acknowledged the uneven returns.
“Tristan, it didn’t work out very well for him,” Bowman said. “I thought he started really good with us and then he got that injury. He never seemed to really recapture his confidence or his performance from that time when he came back. So that’s something that we have to evaluate, what happened there, where things were looking good.”
Oilers’ unsettled crease raises off-season stakes
The Oilers enter the summer with more questions than stability in goal. Connor Ingram handled most of the playoff load but finished with a .876 save percentage, a number that reflects both defensive lapses and limited high-end saves. Bowman credited Ingram’s late-season growth but stopped short of committing to him as a starter.
“Connor came in, and he played pretty well for us,” Bowman said. “I think he was really just getting his game in order in the American League (AHL) when Tristan got hurt, and he came up. By the time we got to the playoffs, Connor had shown that he took some big steps and got his game to a pretty good place.”
Still, Ingram and Calvin Pickard are both unrestricted free agents, leaving Jarry as the only signed option. That reality shapes everything about Edmonton’s off-season plan.
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From a roster-building view, this is not just about the goalie. Edmonton’s defensive structure struggled to protect the middle of the ice, and that exposed both Jarry and Ingram. But elite teams find saves at key moments, and the Oilers did not.
Tristan Jarry decision could define the Oilers’ goaltending direction
Jarry’s contract runs through 2027-28 at a significant $5.375M cap hit, which complicates any quick fix. A trade or buyout would signal a reset, while keeping him means betting on a rebound season after injury.
From an NHL lens, this feels like a pivot point. Edmonton cannot waste prime years of McDavid and Draisaitl waiting for average goaltending to stabilize. They need either a clear No. 1 or a tandem that can deliver above league-average results.
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Bowman’s comments suggest the team understands the urgency. Evaluation is the first step, but action must follow. Whether that means moving Jarry or targeting a new starter, the Oilers’ path back to contention starts in the crease.
