Its official Utah Mammoth fans, Connor Ingram will have a new home up North in Edmonton. As the team announced early morning Oct. 1, the Mammoth will be sending Ingram to the Oilers in exchange for future considerations. “We would like to thank Connor for everything he has done for the organization,” said Armstrong. “He is a class act, great teammate, and we wish him nothing but the best.” As part of the deal, Utah will have to pay $800,000 of Ingram's $1.95 million contract while Edmonton pays the remaining amount. With the team already announcing Ingram was being put on waivers in recent weeks, and the addition of Vitek Vanecek in free agency, it comes at no surprise that Ingram was going to eventually find a new team. "We both had a mutual agreement where we said, ‘Hey, listen, we have our goaltenders. It’s probably best for him not to come to camp and put himself in a (difficult) situation," said Armstrong, after putting Ingram on Waivers mid-September. "Through that process, he’ll either get a chance to play for another NHL team, or he’ll go to the American Hockey League." And just as Armstrong said, Ingram will be on another NHL team. It is very unlikely that Ingram starts barring an injury to Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, but it's never a bad idea to bring good goalies in. After all, Utah was a prime example of what a team looks like when it runs out of goalies, starting Karel Vejmelka for 20 straight games while making a push for the playoffs late last season. Ingram, having been Utah's original starter before suffering an upper-body injury and entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, gives Edmonton a starting-caliber goalie as its third-string option. The trade also benefits Ingram, too, as he can get back to on-ice conditioning for a contending team while also taking on a role with far less pressure than his role in Utah, where he was expected to serve as the primary backup. Now, Ingram can take his time getting back to NHL action and even re-enter the Player Assistance Program if needed. He won't have to rush back into anything, especially if Edmonton is nearly as good as they were last season. Though this trade isn't close to being the flashiest move of the offseason, it is one of the most respectful because Utah found Ingram a new home even though the team didn't get any immediate assets in return. Ingram and Utah's time together may be over, but the support Utah fans offered Ingram will always be remembered. Good luck in Edmonton!
