The goaltending carousel has been spinning in Oil Country the last few years. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, five different goalies have started at least 20 regular season games and appeared in three or more playoff contests for the Edmonton Oilers.
Three seasons ago, it was Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith getting the bulk of the starts. In 2022-23, Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell shared the crease. And last season saw the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Final with Skinner backed up by Calvin Pickard.
Through it all, Olivier Rodrique has been plugging away in the minor leagues. The 62nd overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft is going into his fifth season of pro hockey, and has yet to play a single regular season game in the NHL.
Rodrigue Still Stuck in the AHL
All told, the 24-year-old Rodrigue has appeared in 90 regular season games in the American Hockey League (AHL), 15 in the ECHL, and 23 in the Austrian Hockey League during the pandemic in 2020.
He’s spent the entirety of each of the last three seasons with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL, where he’s increased his save percentage (SV%) while decreasing his goals-against average (GAA) season over season since 2021-22.
Last season, Rodrigue went 19-12-5 with a career-best 2.73 GAA for the Condors. His .916 SV% was third highest among all AHL goalies to appear in at least 37 games.
Despite their lack of stability between the pipes, the Oilers haven’t given Rodrigue a shot. When Campbell struggled so badly last season that he was sent down to Bakersfield, Edmonton recalled Pickard from the AHL to fill Campbell’s spot.
Pickard Looks Set as Skinner’s Backup
To his credit, Pickard was excellent in the role of Oilers’ backup last season, going 12-7-1 with a 2.45 GAA and .909 SV%. When Skinner hit a rough patch during the postseason, Pickard made his first career NHL Playoff start and backstopped Edmonton to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, tying their second round series 2-2. Arguably, the Oilers don’t reach the Stanley Cup Final without Pickard’s Game 4 heroics.
On June 28, the Oilers signed Pickard to a two-year contract extension. Clearly, they plan to have the 32-year-old serve as Skinner’s backup for 2024-25 and 2025-26. But should the Oilers be confident that Pickard can fill that role?
Before playing in 23 regular season games for the Oilers in 2023-24, Pickard had appeared in a grand total of 30 NHL games, with four different teams (the Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs), over the prior six seasons. By age 30, he had pretty much become a full-time AHLer. Did those other teams just miss the boat with Pickard, failing to give him an opportunity that he could have delivered on, or did he just happen to catch lightning in the bottle and have a nice run with a very good Oilers squad last season?
Even if the former is the answer, it’s fair to question Edmonton’s wisdom in committing to Pickard for two more years. He’ll be 34 when his contract expires, and on the back end of his career. Which brings things back to Rodrique.
Rodrigue Could Go Elsewhere After Season
Rodrigue’s entry-level contract with the Oilers expired at the end of the 2022-23 season. On July 4, 2023, he signed a one-year, two-way deal, and then, on March 30, 2024, he agreed to another one-year, two-way extension through the 2024-25 season. He can next become a free agent on July 1 of next year, just five days before his 25th birthday. How much longer will Rodrigue want to remain part of an organization if he doesn’t get a chance at playing in the NHL, especially during his prime years?
And while the Oilers are in win-now mode, they still need to consider their future beyond the next couple of years, especially with Leon Draisaitl now locked up through 2032-33, and Connor McDavid likely to sign an extension that would keep Edmonton’s captain around for a similar length.
Related: TSN Analyst Projects Next Contract Values for Oilers’ McDavid & Bouchard
The Oilers spent a second-round draft pick on Rodrigue. They’ve committed years to his development. Why would they not want to at least see whether he’s capable of giving them a return on their investment?
Rodrigue will be in Edmonton when training camp opens later this month, and he’ll see action with the Oilers during the preseason. But barring something unforeseen, he’ll be in Bakersfield when the season starts. And maybe that’s where he belongs. Or maybe the Oilers are making a mistake by not giving more opportunity to the 6-foot-1 netminder. Time will tell.
