Since the Edmonton Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry back on December 12 and brought up Connor Ingram in the wake of Jarry’s injury, their goaltending situation has taken a turn - not necessarily a dramatic one, but certainly enough to get people talking. And when Oilers Now host and team color analyst Bob Stauffer posted some updated numbers, it only added fuel to the conversation. Edmonton’s recent stretch in net has been solid, and fans are rightfully asking: is this a sign of things stabilizing, or just a hot streak that’s masking deeper issues?
Let’s dig into what the numbers are actually telling us.
Since December 12, the Oilers rank seventh in the NHL in goals-against average (2.78). That’s not just better - that’s a legitimate step forward for a team that has spent much of the season trying to patch up its leaky net.
Jarry, in his short stint before the injury, went 4-0-1 with a 2.58 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Ingram, since being called up, has been right there with him - 4-3-1, 2.49 GAA, and the same .907 save percentage.
Even Calvin Pickard, who had a shaky start, has shown noticeable improvement, posting a 2-3-0 record with a 3.05 GAA and a .901 save percentage.
Those numbers don’t scream Vezina-caliber, but they do suggest one thing: consistency. And for Edmonton, that’s been the missing piece in the crease for much of this season.
Still, not everyone’s ready to declare the goaltending issues resolved. Some fans have pushed back, pointing out that Edmonton’s season-long GAA still sits in the bottom third of the league.
That’s a fair point - a month of solid play doesn’t erase months of instability. And with Stuart Skinner now in Pittsburgh and quietly putting together a strong run - .902 save percentage and 2.42 GAA over his last five games - the conversation has naturally shifted to comparisons.
Was moving on from Skinner the right call? Or is Edmonton’s recent success more about the “new goalie bounce” than a true long-term fix?
This is where things get interesting. On one hand, the Oilers seem to have found a combination that’s working.
Jarry and Ingram have been reliable, and Pickard is trending in the right direction. On the other hand, Skinner’s resurgence with the Penguins complicates the narrative.
He’s not just surviving in Pittsburgh - he’s thriving, at least in the short term.
So where does that leave Edmonton? Right now, it’s about maintaining momentum and figuring out which two goalies are going to carry the load down the stretch.
The numbers are promising, but the sample size is small. The Oilers have bought themselves time, not certainty.
The good news? Goaltending no longer feels like a glaring weakness.
The bad news? It’s still too early to call it a strength.
Edmonton may not have an elite tandem just yet, but they’ve got options - and for a team that’s been searching for answers in net, that’s a win in itself.