Connor Ungar had the best save percentage in the entire Edmonton Oilers system last season, and it still might not be enough to get him anywhere.
Edmonton is running an every-goalie-everywhere approach right now, with eight goalies under contract for only six real starter or backup jobs.
That's the deepest goalie pipeline the organization has had since Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog were breaking in during the early 1980s.
Ungar's path here has never been easy. He went undrafted, lost a key developmental year to the COVID-shortened WHL season at 18, and got no pro offers after strong years in junior.
One season at Brock University changed that, earning him an entry-level deal with Edmonton at 22.
He struggled in year one at ECHL Fort Wayne, getting outplayed by fellow prospect Brett Brochu, and got bounced around the system once Samuel Jonsson and Nathaniel Day arrived.
Then he got hot. By New Year's, Ungar was posting save percentages above .940 across three ECHL stops and a stint with the Bakersfield Condors.
Why Ungar's stock still sits behind two other names
That surge came after Stuart Skinner got traded, Calvin Pickard faded, and Connor Ingram earned his own call-up to Edmonton, opening the door in Bakersfield.
Ingram and Pickard are gone from the organization now, but Edmonton added veteran Frederik Andersen, AHL standout Devon Levi, and prospect Eemil Vinni on a minor-league deal.
The Cult of Hockey ranks Ungar 7th overall in Edmonton's prospect pool, sitting behind Jonsson at 4th and newcomer Levi.
With Levi slated for Edmonton's system, Jonsson and Ungar likely battle for the starting job in Bakersfield, with the loser possibly stuck in the ECHL again.
Realistic expectations for this season: make Bakersfield, play at least half the games, and keep climbing.
A save percentage around .910 probably doesn't move the needle. Anything over .920 could genuinely put an NHL job back in the conversation.
Ungar has already proven he can catch fire out of nowhere. The question is whether Edmonton's crowded pipeline gives him the runway to do it again.
Does Connor Ungar deserve a clearer path to the NHL in Edmonton's system?
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