We are onto the fourth part of my offseason kickoff series here at Oilersnation, where I look at the five storylines that will define this summer for the Edmonton Oilers.

The earlier parts were more foundational questions about the coaching staff, the team’s ability to create cap space, and their philosophy on getting younger.

Today, I’m zeroing in on the team’s pending UFAs.

It’s an interesting group because the three biggest names on the list all performed very well for this team down the stretch, and none of them will break the bank, but at the same time, none of them appear to be locks to return to the organization.

So how will Bowman handle this puzzle? Let’s dig in.

CONNOR INGRAM

The 29-year-old Ingram resurrected his NHL career with the Oilers. In 32 games, he posted an .899 SV%, which was above the league average of .896. 

He wasn’t his best in the playoffs, but that could have been a byproduct of the team having to overplay him down the stretch.

Ingram is a part of a relatively weak free agent class for goaltenders.

If the Oilers choose to let him walk, they could opt for a veteran like Sergei Bobrovsky or Freddie Andersen, but they both come with some serious risk considering their ages, poor regular-season play, and, in the case of Andersen, injury history.

The other names on the market are Stuart Skinner, Cam Talbot, Laurent Brossoit, Petr Mrazek, Vitek Vanecek, and Daniil Tarasov.

Not exactly a great crop.

The Oilers should be looking to bring back Ingram, but Tristan Jarry’s contract is going to be near impossible to move, so if they’re looking to bring in a bigger name for next season, it might not be possible to have Ingram return.

Chance of returning: 55 per cent

I think it really is a coin flip, and honestly, I think the........

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