The Edmonton Oilers put together a dominant performance on Jan. 18, shutting out the St. Louis Blues 5-0-and it was Connor Ingram who stole the spotlight. The 28-year-old netminder turned away all 27 shots he faced, earning a statement shutout and reinforcing why he’s becoming harder and harder to take out of Edmonton’s crease.
Ingram's strong play is doing more than just helping the Oilers climb the standings-it's also raising some interesting questions about the future of Calvin Pickard. With the trade deadline creeping closer, Pickard’s name has started to surface in trade chatter, and it’s not without reason. The 33-year-old has served as a reliable veteran presence, but if Edmonton sees Ingram as the better option moving forward, Pickard could become a valuable trade chip.
One team that makes a lot of sense as a potential landing spot? The Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa’s goaltending situation has been in flux, especially with Linus Ullmark currently on a leave of absence. That’s left the crease to Leevi Meriläinen, and the young goalie has struggled under the pressure of a starter’s workload.
In 10 of his last 12 games, Meriläinen has posted a sub-.900 save percentage-including a tough outing on Jan. 17 where he gave up six goals on just 19 shots against Montreal. That performance drew public criticism from teammate Jake Sanderson, a rare but telling sign of frustration in the locker room.
In response, the Senators brought in veteran James Reimer, but at 37 years old, it's unclear how much he can shoulder at this stage of his career. Ottawa isn’t just looking for a stopgap-they need stability, and they need it now.
That’s where Pickard could come in. He may not be lighting up the stat sheet this season-he’s currently sitting on a 5-6-2 record with a .871 save percentage and a 3.68 goals-against average-but there’s more to the story.
In the previous two seasons, he posted a .909 and .900 save percentage, respectively. Those numbers suggest there’s still something left in the tank, and a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs to get back on track.
For Ottawa, acquiring Pickard wouldn’t just be about surviving Ullmark’s absence-it could also give them a dependable backup option once their starter returns. Given the way things are trending in their crease right now, that kind of insurance could be crucial down the stretch.
As for the Oilers, Ingram’s rise gives them the flexibility to explore moves like this. If he keeps playing the way he did against St. Louis, Edmonton might just have found their guy-and that opens the door for Pickard to help another team in need.