The Edmonton Oilers, once again, will face goaltending questions during the offseason. Unfortunately for them, it seems that they will once again face hurdles when it comes to building a strong goaltending unit.
Goaltender Connor Ingram, who is set to enter free agency at the start of July, will more than likely be at the top of Edmonton's offseason needs in order to ensure some stability at the position. This is especially true considering that Ingram was able to steady the goaltending unit and put a 16-10-3 record together to ensure that Edmonton got into the postseason.
But there will be other goaltender-needy teams that require Ingram's services.
Enter the Ottawa Senators
Like the Oilers, the Ottawa Senators had some of their own goaltending issues this season.
Linus Ullmark and his personal leave of absence meant that Leevi Merilainen, who saved the Senators' season the year prior, was forced back into action once again.
Safe to say that he did not impress.
James Reimer was also acquired as a backup option, and he did quite well during his time in Ottawa. Despite posting a .886 save percentage, Reimer went 7-4-2 through his 13 starts while also recording a 2.42 goals against average.
The bad news for Ottawa is that both Merilainen and Reimer are heading to free agency, leaving Ullmark as the only starting goaltender on the Senators' roster.
The team has already been linked to former Oiler Stuart Skinner, and now it seems that Ingram could truly be a target as free agency approaches.
The Senators' need for goaltending is only reinforced by the fact that they were 13th in goals against per game during the 2025-26 campaign; the team's goaltending gave up just shy of three goals per game that season. The Senators also had the second-worst save percentage at .882; only the Vancouver Canucks had a worse metric. They were also second-last in saves, though the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes - both of whom are contesting the 2026 Stanley Cup Final - sandwiched the Senators at 30th and 32nd respectively.
While Ullmark's .891 save percentage and 2.72 goals against average were also part of why the Senators' goaltending metrics were so low, he also finished the season with 28 wins. Ullmark also finished the regular season with a four-game winning streak and a 14-4-3 mark since returning from his leave of absence at the end of January.
Even though Ullmark will almost certainly be the Senators' go-to option to start the regular season, a veteran tandem of Ingram and Ullmark could be an appealing option for the team as they look to make it three straight years in the playoffs.
