Bowman: Backup Calvin Pickard ‘will remain with the team’ after Skinner-Jarry trade

As the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins swapped goaltenders on Friday morning, questions loomed over the status of current Oilers backup Calvin Pickard.Tristan Jarry enters Edmonton as the team’s new starting goaltender, acquired for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2nd round pick in 2029. But backup netminder Calvin Pickard has struggled mightily this season, which led insiders to believe that an Oilers goalie trade wouldn’t include Skinner.

However, Pickard’s status in Edmonton will not change, according to general manager Stan Bowman, who held a press conference on Friday morning.

“He will remain with the team,” said Bowman when asked whether fans should expect anything with Pickard, adding nothing else on the question.Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts on Monday said the Oilers were looking to pair Tristan Jarry with Stuart Skinner as a 1-2 goaltending tandem, but that the Penguins were unwilling to retain any salary in a trade.

As Oilers fans saw on Friday, only parts of that came to fruition.

Pickard’s play

The 33-year-old backup has earned three wins in eight starts this season, but is a long way off from his performance from a year ago.

Statistically, his 4.04 goals against average and .851 save percentage are among the worst for NHL goaltenders this year, while he’s posted a 3-3-2 record, notching quality starts in just two of eight starts. 

Rumours about Pickard’s demotion percolated during the team’s long November road trip, as Frank Seravalli suggested the Oilers were close to sending him down to Bakersfield. However, his popularity in the dressing room, how the team rallied around him in Tampa Bay on Nov. 20, plus Pickard’s improved play in that game, kept Pickard in Edmonton. ​The Oilers acquired Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth in September, who was looking for a fresh start, and fans have wondered whether Ingram could be called up. He appears to still be building his game, with just a 3-5-2 record with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, a 3.63 GAA and .868sv%.

Pickard is in the final year of his contract at a $1-million cap hit.

Career year

Last season, Pickard played a crucial role in the team’s regular season and playoff success, as he produced a career year. His 22-10-1 record with a 2.71 GAA and a .900 save percentage allowed the Oilers to lessen Skinner’s workload, and his playoff effort was sensational.

Getting the start for Game 3 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, Pickard won six consecutive starts before an injury thrust Skinner back into the net. Pickard’s relief performance in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final tied the series at 2-2, and he earned the start in the crucial Game 5 back in Edmonton. His last start was against the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 4, a monster 9-4 win for the Oilers, in which Pickard made 28 saves on 32 shots.

The Oilers play back-to-back games on the road this weekend in Toronto and Montreal. With Jarry en route to join the team, one could assume Pickard will get the start in one of these games.

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