Calvin Pickard – An Inspiring Story for the Oilers in 2023-24

His story is yet to be fully written in the 2023-24 NHL season, but the first few chapters have been nothing short of inspiring for his Oilers teammates and fans in Oil Country and beyond.

Pickard Started the Season 3rd on the Oilers’ Depth Chart

Oilers fans, think back to the horrendous start the team had to the 2023-24 season. Just as training camp was finishing, Jack Campbell looked like he was going to be the goalie to write a feel-good comeback story for the Oilers. He played well in camp and seemed to have wrestled the starter role back from Stuart Skinner. In fact, he was picked by then-head coach Jay Woodcroft to start the season against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 11.

The season couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start as the Canucks manhandled the Oilers 8-1 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. What a way to start. Campbell never recovered from the slow start in the NHL and was placed on waivers on Nov. 7 after getting off to a 1-4-0 record with a 4.50 goals-against average (GAA) and .873 save percentage (SV%) in five games. He was eventually sent to the Oilers affiliate, Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Nov. 8 and journeyman goalie Pickard was called up to backstop Skinner. The Oilers had a record of 2-8-1, good enough for seventh in the Pacific Division at the time.

Expectations Not High When Pickard Called Up to the Oilers in November

Not too many people believed in Pickard when he was called up on Nov. 8 to join the Oilers, except maybe Pickard himself. The team was wallowing in a position close to the bottom of the NHL standings at that time, and much of the talk was about who the Oilers were going to trade for to be their number-one goalie ahead of Skinner and Pickard. Well, a lot has happened between then and now.

Names like Juuse Saros, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jake Allen and Jordan Binnington all went from a scream to a whisper then went away for good before the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline. There were two reasons: 1) Skinner found his game and 2) Pickard kept coming up big when called upon. It’s funny how good homegrown goaltending can silence trade whispers sometimes. But that’s exactly what happened with the Oilers.

Pickard – Solid in the Room and On the Ice

There’s something to be said about team chemistry and good guys being great in the room. That can go a long way to helping a team, because hockey is still a team game after all. But it’s one thing to be great in the room, however, you also need to perform well on the ice – and Pickard has delivered big time on both accounts. He currently sits in ninth place among NHL goalies with a 2.27 GAA and is tied for 11th with a .919 SV%. Not bad for a guy who seemed like an afterthought in November.

It seems as though Pickard was never given too much of a chance in his NHL career. His biggest accomplishment before joining the Oilers was being a starter for the Colorado Avalanche back in the 2016-17 season. That season, he posted a not-so-great record of 15-31-2 in 50 appearances but did have a respectable .904 SV%. The only problem at the time was the Avalanche were a rebuilding franchise, so many times Pickard was left to the wolves. Put a better defence in front of him, and there’s a chance that he would shine through. But that chance never really materialized.

The Avalanche gave up on Pickard and he became a journeyman moving on to other NHL teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. When he was picked up by Edmonton on July 13, 2022, it seemed like he was added for depth – especially for the Oilers AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. But a funny thing happened. Once he got his chance with the Oilers, he hasn’t relinquished the job. In fact, it seems as though he’s getting better with age and experience. Kinda like a fine wine.

Final Chapter of Pickard’s 2023-24 Story Still to Be Written

As the Oilers continue to round out their game and focus on getting into the playoffs, there’s not much talk about the goaltending these days. Sure, some well-respected people aren’t sold on the Oilers’ goaltending situation going into the playoffs. But you never know until you get there. It seems like Skinner, like other unsung heroes in the Oilers net over the years such as Dwayne Roloson and Jussi Markkanen, is just waiting to prove the critics wrong. The way Pickard has handled his duties in the regular season gives Oilers fans reason not to bet against him come playoff time. Let’s see how the story plays out.