Becoming an NHL starting goaltender requires a particular skill set, but excelling as a backup also demands a unique artistry. It involves embracing uncertainty, preparing intensely without guaranteed ice time, and facing the expectation of performing at your peak on minimal notice. This kind of pressure isn`t for everyone, but Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard stands out. He has built a career thriving in less prominent roles, embodying the blue-collar player known for his relentless work ethic and simple philosophy: one day, one game at a time.
Pickard makes this challenging role appear effortless. Oilers forward Evander Kane describes him as “one of the rare goalies” and “just a normal guy” who is “really popular in [our] room.”
Indeed, Pickard has been instrumental in rescuing Edmonton from significant deficits not once, but twice this postseason. He could be key to keeping the Oilers` Stanley Cup Final hopes alive as they face elimination in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers.
Despite the immense pressure, Pickard`s recent outings have shown a goalie performing at his very best. He began the Final as the backup to Stuart Skinner. After the Oilers split the first two games and then lost Game 3 decisively (6-1), Pickard came in late for cleanup duty.
Heading into Game 4 with a 2-1 series deficit and palpable fragility, coach Kris Knoblauch again started Skinner. The result was disastrous: Skinner allowed three goals on just 14 shots in the first period, giving him a poor .824 save percentage. Facing a 3-0 hole, Knoblauch had to make a change.
Pickard was called upon. The 33-year-old took over the net and anchored a stunning comeback. The Oilers rallied with three second-period goals to tie the game 3-3. Pickard was excellent, making tough, crucial saves that gave Edmonton a chance to generate offense. Their eventual 5-4 overtime victory would not have been possible without Pickard`s 22 saves.
Given this performance, it seemed clear that Pickard would start Game 5, getting at least 24 hours` notice for his next appearance – in the Cup Final, no less, after not starting a full game in five weeks. This might rattle other goalies, but Pickard is no typical backup. He`s built differently.
“I guess you could look at [Game 5] as the biggest game in my life, but the last game was the biggest game in my life until the next one,” Pickard remarked. “It`s rinse and repeat for me. It`s been a great journey; I`ve been to a lot of good places. Grateful that I had the chance to come to Edmonton a couple years ago, and this is what you play for. I`m excited.”
Game 5 didn`t unfold as planned for Edmonton. They fell behind early again, and this time, even Pickard`s impressive saves (including a crucial stop on Carter Verhaeghe in the first period) couldn`t save the Oilers from their own performance in a 5-2 loss.
Pickard`s stat line wasn`t flattering (four goals allowed on 18 shots for a .778 save percentage), but Knoblauch wasn`t convinced he was the issue. Nor did Knoblauch immediately commit to him for Game 6. “I`m not going to make that decision right now after a tough loss tonight,” the coach stated after Game 5. “But from what I saw, I think Picks didn`t have much chance on all those goals. Breakaways, shots through screens, slot shots. There was nothing saying that it was a poor performance.”
It was Pickard`s first loss of the postseason, highlighting his strong overall body of work. Not long ago, he was the Oilers` primary netminder. A better team effort in front of him could see him shine again in Game 6. Edmonton has been outscored 15-8 in their last three games, a frustrating trend considering their offensive talent and defensive capabilities.
“The quality of opportunities were really good [in Game 5], so there`s no fault at Calvin at all on any of those goals,” Knoblauch reiterated. “When the pressure`s not on [the goalies] that they have to make every single save… It`d be nice to get some goal support. [Game 5] was a case where we were having difficulty generating offense. It`d be nice to have that lead and play knowing that they have to open things up when they`re trailing.”
The Oilers faced a difficult situation midway through the first round. After entering the playoffs as Cup contenders following their Final appearance the previous year, they started poorly, falling behind the Los Angeles Kings 2-0. Skinner, the starter, had allowed 11 goals in those two defeats. Pickard watched from the bench, save for a brief late-game appearance.
Knoblauch turned to Pickard for Game 3, sparking another comeback. Pickard helped the Oilers win four straight to eliminate the Kings. He secured two more wins against the Vegas Golden Knights, giving Edmonton a 2-0 series lead, before sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 2. His impressive run ended with a 6-0-0 record, an .892 save percentage, and a 2.76 goals-against average.
Edmonton then relied on Skinner again, who delivered a sensational performance leading the Oilers through the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars. A healthy Pickard returned to his role as a spectator, having perfected the art of biding his time.
“The last couple of years, [Skinner] has played much more than I have,” Pickard said. “So, practice time is huge for me. [Our staff] has me dialed in when I`m not playing and doing different drills to replicate situations in games, and for when that chance comes.”
Pickard has learned to maximize every practice rep, viewing them as significant even without a game outcome. “Getting the time in Game 3 [of the Final] at the end, even when it was out of hand… it`s still good ice time for me to get out there and see game action,” Pickard noted. “That propelled me to be ready for Game 4. [Any of that] practice time`s huge.”
Calvin Pickard came up particularly strong against the Kings after the Oilers fell behind 2-0 in the series.
It`s fitting for a goalie like Pickard, who can thrive entering difficult situations, to be on the verge of a potentially rare accomplishment. According to ESPN Research, the last time multiple goalies on a Cup-winning team recorded decisions in the Final for non-injury reasons was when the Boston Bruins alternated Gerry Cheevers and Eddie Johnston in 1972.
Skinner and Pickard are also just the second duo in NHL history each to have at least seven wins in a single postseason, following Marc-Andre Fleury (nine wins) and Matt Murray (seven) during the Pittsburgh Penguins` 2017 Cup run.
Pickard`s path to this point differs significantly from his predecessors and his current teammate. Drafted 49th overall by Colorado in 2010, his only season as a starter for the Avalanche was in 2016-17, filling in for an injured Semyon Varlamov.
Selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft, he was intended as Fleury`s backup but ended up waived and sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs` minor league affiliate. He continued to move around, being waived by Toronto and Philadelphia before a brief stint in Arizona. In July 2019, Pickard signed with the Detroit Red Wings, his fifth team in two years, but still couldn`t establish himself in the NHL, toggling between the Red Wings and the AHL for three seasons.
In July 2022, Pickard arrived in Edmonton, initially spending his first season in the AHL after signing a two-year, two-way deal. He finally saw consistent NHL play the following season when the Oilers struggled with Jack Campbell, appearing in 23 games, his most since 2016-17. This earned him the backup role behind Skinner this season.
The rest is, as they say, history. Pickard`s patience and perseverance have deeply impressed his teammates, who now rely on him to help potentially secure a Cup title.
“He`s been doing this for a long time, he has a ton of experience and been to a lot of different dressing rooms,” Kane commented. “That can help you along when you do come on to different teams, making a little bit of an easier transition. Now you`re just seeing that off-ice translate on to the ice with his performance, and how much he`s helped us to where we are here today … in the Stanley Cup Final.”
If some weren`t paying attention when Pickard stepped in against the Kings, there`s no doubt all eyes are on him now. It`s attention he has unquestionably earned.
“[Pickard is] someone who`s just kind of stuck with it all along and he`s been a true pro and a great person all the way through,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid stated. “I think good people get rewarded and he works as hard as I`ve seen. Couldn`t be more deserving.”
Coach Knoblauch is known for taking his time with decisions. He has been cautious about naming a starter throughout the Final and will remain so for Game 6.
“[It`s] a conversation with the staff, obviously our goaltending coach, Dustin Schwartz, but with all the assistants, the general manager,” Knoblauch explained. “[We`ll] kind of weigh in how everyone feels and what`s best moving forward. It`s not an easy decision. We`ve got two goalies that have shown that they can play extremely well, win hockey games and we feel that no matter who we choose, they can win the game.”
Pickard`s numbers in the series (.878 SV%, 2.88 GAA) are better than Skinner`s (.860 SV%, 4.20 GAA), and they are comparable over the entire postseason (Pickard: .886 SV%, 2.85 GAA; Skinner: .891 SV%, 2.99 GAA). However, their records differ significantly: 7-1 for Pickard vs. 7-6 for Skinner.
So, who gives the Oilers the best chance to win Game 6 and force a return to Edmonton for a potential Game 7? If Pickard gets the nod, it would cap off a decade of consistent effort, proving his readiness for the highest-pressure moments. There is only the present, and the right backup goalie has always been trained to stay ready.
