It’s not necessarily his fault, but the Edmonton Oilers are starting to learn that Calvin Pickard isn’t likely to bail them out of lackluster efforts. Too many times this season, the Oilers haven’t shown up, and when Pickard has been in the net, the results have been concerning. Frankly, Pickard’s near-nightmare run keeps getting worse.
Thursday’s loss in Columbus — where Pickard allowed five goals on 25 shots and dropped to a .830 save percentage on the season — only cemented what’s been evident for weeks. Edmonton needs an upgrade in net.
The problem? Finding one is far easier said than done.
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This isn’t about Pickard being a bad teammate or a poor worker. By all accounts, he’s universally liked in that room. But the Oilers’ situation is simple: they can’t afford to lose ground while waiting for him to find his game. And with his last six save percentages reading like a horror movie (.800, .762, .864, .852, .815, .818), it’s going to be tough to keep calling on him if he’s not up to the task of bailing out a struggling Oilers’ squad.
But the idea that Edmonton can just go out and “grab another goalie” ignores two brutal realities.
The Goalie Market Is Practically Empty
Assuming for a second that GM Stan Bowman is even considering a big swing, there isn’t a single meaningful option available without overpaying. Teams aren’t selling this early. The candidates Edmonton can pry loose fall into two categories: overpriced and underperforming or fringe backups who aren’t real upgrades.
If Bowman goes out into the market and makes it known the Oilers are looking, teams know he’s desperate — and they’ll price their trade assets accordingly.
The Oilers can barely fit an emergency recall, let alone a $4–5 million goalie. So too, the organization doesn’t have the picks or prospects to grab a goalie of substance or win a bidding war.
Even if they wanted someone like Juuse Saros, there’s no indication yet that the Nashville Predators are open to trading him and there’s real debate about what the acquistion price would be.
In short, there are so many unknowns in the trade market, the Oilers have a chance to swing a strike out in a significant way.
Pickard Remains the Known Commodity for the Oilers
The likelihood that Pickard is going anywhere is low. And, while he arguably hasn’t played his best this season, his resume affords him the luxury of a little more time. Perhaps he stays because the Oilers are boxed in, but even if they weren’t, Pickard has proven that he can, and potentially will shake this nightmare run.
Until a realistic, affordable, available upgrade emerges, Edmonton’s hand is forced:
They’re tied to Stuart Skinner and a struggling backup that needs to find his game.
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