Calvin Pickard shouldn’t be blamed for the Edmonton Oilers’ loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday (Nov. 4). A quick look at the box score shows you they were shut out in the affair, and it goes without saying that you aren’t going to win many games where you don’t manage a goal in regulation. With that said, it wasn’t a performance to write home about for the Oilers backup netminder.
Related: 5 Takeaways From the Oilers’ First 10 Games
Pickard allowed three goals on just 16 shots for a .813 save percentage (SV%). Both the first and second goals were ones that NHL goaltenders should be expected to make saves on, which has been the case for several allowed by both he and Stuart Skinner this season.
With the less-than-stellar performance, Pickard now owns a 2.60 goals-against average (GAA) and a .886 SV% in five starts this season. Those numbers are somehow an upgrade over Skinner, who has a 3.31 GAA and a .881 SV% in his eight starts. It’s never fair to blame just goaltending when a team is struggling, but one could legitimately argue that the Oilers would have three or four more wins early in this season if they were getting the saves an NHL team normally gets.
Though it’s not what management had hoped to see given that they want to use their limited cap space to upgrade the blue line, they may instead need to search for some goalie options. This was always the risk of re-signing a journeyman in Pickard, and they appear to be paying the price. With that said, here are four options they could take a look at to help fix this problem.
Matt Murray
The most intriguing option (of cheap and affordable goaltenders) may very well be Matt Murray of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Injuries have really affected what was looking to be an incredible career early on, but at 30, perhaps the two-time Stanley Cup winner still has some game left.
Murray appeared in just three games all of last season, but is back healthy in 2024-25. He’s played in three games with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL), posting a 2.70 GAA and a .912 SV%. He is on a one-year deal with a cap hit of just $875,000, making him an attractive option for the Oilers.
James Reimer
One goalie some mentioned joining the Oilers in free agency was James Reimer. The 36-year-old, who ultimately signed with the Buffalo Sabres (since been claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks), has been a solid tandem option throughout his 503-game NHL career.
Reimer’s numbers haven’t been great the past two seasons, though his .904 SV% in 25 appearances with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023-24 are far better than what the Oilers are getting from either of their options currently. He is on a one-year, $1 million deal and wouldn’t take anything more than a late-round pick to obtain.
Arvid Soderblom
A much younger option, should the Oilers prefer going that route, is Chicago Blackhawks’ Arvid Soderblom. The 25-year-old had struggled in his 50 career NHL games coming into 2024-25, albeit he had little to no help playing behind a struggling Blackhawks roster.
It’s early, but Soderblom has looked exceptional through three starts this season, posting a 2.35 GAA and a .927 SV%. He will likely be relegated to third-string duties once regular backup Laurent Brossoit returns, and like the others on this list, shouldn’t take anything more than a late-round pick to acquire. He’s in the final year of a deal with a $962,500 cap hit and will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at season’s end.
Internal Option
The final option, but perhaps not the worst for the Oilers, is internal. They currently have two goaltenders off to solid starts in the AHL in Collin Delia and Olivier Rodrigue, either of whom may be capable of some NHL work. All it would come down to is if the Oilers prefer experience or youth.
Related: 6 Right-Shot Defencemen Oilers Should Consider Trading for
Should they prefer experience, Delia is the guy. They chose to sign the 30-year-old, who has 52 games of NHL experience, to a one-year deal this past offseason as organizational depth. Rodrigue, on the other hand, is a very intriguing prospect who already has two very promising AHL seasons under his belt at the age of 24. The argument could be made that he was already deserving of some NHL action before the 2024-25 season even began.
Patience Is Running Out
Though Oilers management wants to remain as patient as they can, time may be running out. They went through a similar pattern a season ago, and it wound up costing them a division title, and possibly home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final. They can’t afford to risk that same outcome again, and need to act soon. The goalies mentioned above are by no means elite options, but could serve as a wake-up call to help get Skinner going.
