According to Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal, the Edmonton Oilers might not be able to do anything about their goaltending situation during the regular season, but the playoffs are a bit of a different animal.
Leavins writes in his recent 9 Things column that Tristan Jarry cannot be sent to the AHL following the trade deadline. That means there’s no Calvin Pickard coming in to save the day as Jarry gets sent a message by playing games in Bakersfield. However, Leavins suggests this could change for the postseason.
He writes:
“It is more likely to see Calvin Pickard back with the Oilers come the playoffs, as Ingram’s backup. That would enable Kris Knoblauch to ice a superior group of skaters, because the cap works differently in the playoffs. If Jarrry does not dress, his cap would not count.”
Starting with these 2026 playoffs, there’s a new rule — a playoff salary cap. It’s the same limit as the regular season ($95.5 million this year), but it’s a bit different. For every playoff game, the team has to submit its lineup early. That lineup is usually 18 skaters and two goalies. The NHL adds up the salaries (their “cap hits”) of just those 20 players. That total must be at or below the regular salary cap. If a player is sitting out (scratched), hurt, or not in the lineup that day, their salary doesn’t count for that game.
It’s checked game by game, so teams can swap players in and out as long as the ones playing fit under the cap.
Calvin Pickard Oilers trade
In other words, the Oilers can carry three goalies, and as long as only two are submitted prior to the game, and the team is under the cap, there is no issue.
This rule was put into place so that teams could ice a roster well above the cap during the playoffs. It doesn’t prohibit the team from traveling or carrying extra salary.
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