Kris Knoblauch has just announced something important. Edmonton Oilers goalie Tristan Jarry is not the clear number one choice as they head into the playoffs.
The goalie position is now open for anyone to take. On Wednesday night in Anaheim, there was a big problem as the team’s defense fell apart completely in the last period.
With a save rate of . 864 in his 12 games with the Oilers, Jarry is not performing well. Edmonton decided to take their starting goalie out during a tied game, sending a strong message to the whole team.
Connor Ingram is now part of the competition. The coaches are removing any security for the goalie position, starting a big race for who will be the main goalie as the playoffs get closer.
The management gave up a lot to bring Jarry over from Pittsburgh. They thought he would help stabilize the team, but now they are frantically trying to find some dependable play.
Every game left on the schedule is like a tryout. Knoblauch has made it clear to both goalies that they need to step up during this tough stretch ahead.
Having a good reputation doesn’t matter right now. The goalie who ends up starting in the playoffs will be chosen based solely on how well they play and their results.
The Goalie Who is Hot Gets the Start
Re: goaltending down the stretch.
Knoblauch confirms they’ll go with the hot goalie, rather than map starts out ahead of time.
“The goalie who gives us the best chance to win.”
The competition for that 1st playoff start is officially on in EDM.— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) February 28, 2026
The head coach summed up his view very clearly: “The goalie who gives us the best chance to win.”
This is the most important thing in Edmonton. Ingram has a reasonable salary cap hit of $1,950,000 and wants to take over as the main goalie.
He had six shutouts last season and performs well when it counts, which makes things tough for his competition.
On the other hand, Jarry has a big cap hit of $5,375,000. He needs to prove he’s worth that money quickly, or he might find himself sitting on the bench wearing a cap when the playoffs start.
The Oilers really need to play well in changing from defense to offense to help their scoring, but it all begins with a dependable goalie in the defensive area making the initial save.
Throughout his time in the NHL, Jarry has been through a lot of intense attention from the media. Since he joined the team in Northern Alberta, he has a terrible goals-against average of 3.85, making the team leaders reconsider their whole plan.
Neither player has a certain position locked in. The one who gets into a good groove first and has good games consistently will guide the team into the playoffs.
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