Oilers Backup Goalie Calvin Pickard Faces Early-Season Challenges
What has happened to Calvin Pickard, the Edmonton Oilers goaltender who captured hearts during last spring's remarkable NHL playoff run? The backup netminder who delivered dream-like performances when starter Stuart Skinner struggled is now facing significant difficulties in the early stages of the current season.
Statistical Struggles Behind Slack Defence
The numbers tell a concerning story for the Oilers' loyal soldier. Pickard has surrendered 10 goals on his last 46 shots, including relief appearances against Colorado and a start against Columbus. His current statistics place him among the league's lowest-performing goaltenders, with an .830 save percentage and 4.17 goals-against average. Among the 54 NHL goaltenders who have played at least five games this season, Pickard currently holds the worst save percentage.
This represents a stark contrast to his playoff performance last spring, where he won six consecutive games early in the postseason and finished with an impressive 7-1 record. Pickard proved instrumental when Skinner lost two games in Los Angeles, then carried that momentum into Round 2 against Vegas, winning the first two games there—including gutting out a victory in Game 2 after Tomas Hertl fell on his left leg.
Defensive Environment Contributing to Goaltending Woes
While Pickard certainly needs to make more saves, the defensive environment in front of him deserves scrutiny. According to Kevin Woodley of InGoal magazine, who closely tracks NHL goaltenders, Pickard currently faces the worst defensive environment of any goalie in the entire National Hockey League.
"One of Cal's greatest strengths is he reads the game at a really high level," Woodley explained. "When you have a defensive environment like he did last year, it's more predictable. His reads are right and more effective. Right now, he has the lowest expected-save performance in the entire National Hockey League."
The statistics support this assessment. The Oilers rank 29th in the NHL in high-danger shots allowed in the defensive zone, and their penalty kill sits at 25th league-wide. This chaotic defensive situation doesn't play to Pickard's strengths as a goalie who thrives on reading predictable patterns.
Last season, Pickard operated in what analytics identified as the second-easiest environment in terms of shot quality. While underlying statistics suggested he wasn't quite as strong as his 22-10-1 record indicated, the players in front of him battled defensively knowing they had a reliable teammate in net.
This season, that defensive battle has noticeably diminished. The question remains whether the Oilers are structured to require their goaltending to be their saving grace, or if systemic defensive improvements are needed to support both Pickard and Skinner throughout the challenging NHL season.
