Pickard turned aside 21 of 23 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Predators.
Pickard stepped in for a spot start and performed well, though the Predators' fourth line was able to generate both goals. The 32-year-old netminder has won four of his last five outings while offering stability in the backup role behind Stuart Skinner. Pickard is 4-2-0 with a 2.49 GAA and an .890 save percentage over seven appearances this season. It'll likely be Skinner between the pipes in Toronto on Saturday, but Pickard should start either Monday in Montreal or Tuesday in Ottawa.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Set to start Thursday
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Pickard will start Thursday's home matchup against the Predators, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.
Pickard worked in the starter's net during Wednesday's practice session, and he'll officially draw his first start in over a week. Although he's had limited opportunities this season behind Stuart Skinner, Pickard has been effective in recent outings, posting a 3-1-0 record, 2.02 GAA and .917 save percentage over his last four starts.
Pickard stopped 13 of 16 shots in Monday's 3-0 loss to New Jersey.
Pickard was coming off three straight wins when called upon duty, but that streak was halted Monday in what was a subpar display from the 32-year-old. Pickard has been hit-or-miss this season, posting three games with a save percentage above .920 and three others with a mark below the .860 range. He should remain as Stuart Skinner's backup going forward, meaning his fantasy upside should be minimal and could only be worth considering as a streaming option.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Starting against New Jersey
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Pickard will start Monday's home game against the Devils.
Pickard has earned wins in his last three starts, posting a 1.67 GAA and .938 save percentage during that time. He'll draw the start for the third time in the Oilers' last five games as he attempts to keep his hot streak going Monday.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Steady in third straight win
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Pickard allowed a goal on 27 shots in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Predators.
Pickard picked up his third straight win as the Oilers' offense performed well even with Connor McDavid (ankle) out. The 32-year-old Pickard has allowed more than two goals in just one of his five appearances this season, which was also his lone loss Oct. 12 versus the Blackhawks. Stuart Skinner remains in the starting role, but Pickard could be in line for something closer to a 50-50 split of playing time if he continues to make the most of his starting opportunities. The Oilers wrap up their road trip Sunday with a visit to Calgary for the second Battle of Alberta of 2024-25.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Slated to start Thursday
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Pickard will be in the road crease for Thursday's game against Nashville, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.
Pickard has picked up wins in his last two starts, and he'll attempt to keep his momentum going Thursday. He's already made a start in Nashville this season, allowing two goals on 27 shots to earn the win over the Predators on Oct. 17.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Picks up win against Detroit
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Pickard turned aside 24 of 26 shots in Sunday's 3-2 overtime win over the Red Wings.
Pickard has picked up wins in back-to-back starts, stopping a combined 49 of 53 shots. The 32-year-old goaltender has been serviceable as Stuart Skinner's backup, posting a 2-1-0 record, .875 save percentage and 2.91 GAA across four appearances. Pickard's next chance to extend his win streak to three will likely come against Calgary on Nov. 3 or New Jersey on Nov. 4.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Starting in Detroit
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Pickard will defend the road net Sunday against Detroit, according to Tony Brar of Oilers TV.
Pickard has a 1-1-0 record this season while surrendering eight goals on 54 shots in three appearances. He played in 12 regular-season games for the Red Wings from 2019-20 to 2021-22 before joining Edmonton's organization for the 2022-23 campaign. Detroit has registered 23 goals across eight games this year.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Nabs win over Nashville
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Pickard allowed two goals on 27 shots in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Predators.
Pickard allowed a tip-in goal by Filip Forsberg and a power-play tally from Jonathan Marchessault. This was Pickard's first win in three outings (two starts) this season, and he's now allowed eight goals on 54 shots. The Oilers started slow but appear to be rounding back into form, though Stuart Skinner's early play hasn't inspired much confidence. Pickard is likely to remain in the backup role for now. Edmonton wraps up its brief two-game trip Saturday in Dallas.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Guarding cage against Predators
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Pickard will tend the twine on the road versus Nashville on Thursday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.
Pickard wasn't exactly stellar in his previous outing, giving up five goals on 20 shots (.750 save percentage) against the Blackhawks on Oct. 12. Still, with the Oilers struggling, particularly Stuart Skinner, who is sporting a 4.43 GAA and .845 save percentage in three appearances, it seems the coaching staff if willing to try anything to get the season back on track. If Pickard can put together a strong performance, he could be in line to keep the starting gig heading into Saturday's road clash with Dallas as well.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Shaky in first start
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Pickard allowed five goals on 20 shots in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Blackhawks.
Neither Pickard nor Stuart Skinner have looked good in their first starts of the year. The Blackhawks' power play did a number on Pickard with three goals and added two even-strength tallies to outpace the Oilers. With six goals allowed on 27 shots over two appearances, Pickard is off to a rough start in 2024-25. Stuart Skinner will start at home versus the Flames on Sunday, but Edmonton's crease could turn into a hot-hand situation if neither goalie gets on a run in the early going.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Facing Chicago
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Pickard will patrol the home crease Saturday versus the Blackhawks, according to Oilers play-by-by announcer Jack Michaels.
Pickard will get the first half of Edmonton's back-to-back, and Stuart Skinner will play in Sunday's home contest versus Calgary. Last season, the 32-year-old Pickard posted a 27-save shutout win against Chicago on Jan. 25. The Blackhawks have scored three goals in two outings in 2024-25 en route to a record of 0-1-1.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Makes relief appearance
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Pickard allowed a goal on seven shots in Wednesday's 6-0 loss to the Jets.
Pickard relieved Stuart Skinner just over halfway through the game, but the damage was already done. The lone goal against Pickard was a Mark Scheifele power-play tally in the third period. Last season, Pickard saw action in 23 games, posting a 2.45 GAA and a .909 save percentage in the regular season. The 32-year-old will back up Skinner to begin 2024-25, though both goalies should be due for a start this weekend with the Oilers set to host the Blackhawks on Saturday and the Flames on Sunday.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Back at practice Wednesday
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Pickard (upper body) expects to be ready for the season, telling reporters Wednesday, "Feeling good, feeling ready to go, it's nice to be back skating again."
Pickard figures to enter the upcoming campaign as the No. 2 option behind Stuart Skinner and should see a similar workload as last year when he played in 23 contests. In those outings, the 32-year-old goaltender went 12-7-1 with a 2.45 GAA, .909 save percentage and one shutout. If he can maintain those levels this year, Pickard could challenge Skinner for a few extra starts but is unlikely to work his way into the starting job.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Injured in collision
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Pickard (upper body) left Saturday's preseason game versus the Kraken in the first period, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports.
Pickard's head appeared to hit the post after Seattle's Yanni Gourde pushed Edmonton defenseman Philip Kemp into his own goalie. The severity of Pickard's injury wasn't immediately known. The 32-year-old is projected to open 2024-25 as the backup, but if he remains hurt by Opening Night, Collin Delia or Olivier Rodrigue could fill that role instead.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Starting against Seattle
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Pickard will guard the home net Saturday against the Kraken, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.
Pickard will start for the Oilers, though he could ultimately split work with Olivier Rodrigue, per Brar. Pickard, expected to open the year as Stuart Skinner's backup, went 12-7-1 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA in 23 regular-season appearances last campaign.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Starting versus Calgary
Rotowire
Pickard will be between the pipes for Monday's home preseason contest against the Flames.
Pickard will start the 2024-25 campaign as Stuart Skinner's top backup. The 32-year-old Pickard was 12-7-1 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA in 23 regular-season appearances with the Oilers in 2023-24.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Signs two-year contract
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Pickard signed a two-year, $2 million contract with the Oilers on Friday, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.
Pickard had a 12-7-1 record, 2.45 GAA and .909 save percentage in 23 regular-season contests with Edmonton in 2023-24. He's projected to open the 2024-25 campaign as the backup goaltender behind Stuart Skinner. The Oilers also have Jack Campbell under contract for three more seasons with a $5 million annual cap hit, but he spent most of the recent campaign in the minors and seems unlikely to earn a roster spot with Edmonton to start the season if he remains with the franchise.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Loses Game 5 late
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Pickard allowed three goals on 35 shots in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Canucks in Game 5.
Pickard allowed a goal in each period, including J.T. Miller's game-winner in the final minute of the third. While it wasn't a bad start, Pickard is now 1-1 with five goals allowed on 56 shots over his two playoff starts. The 32-year-old netminder has offered a bit more stability for the Oilers, but it's unclear if he'll again get the nod in Saturday's must-win Game 6. If not, head coach Kris Knoblauch could turn back to Stuart Skinner with the season on the line.
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Oilers' Calvin Pickard: In goal for Game 5
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Pickard will get the starting nod in Game 5 on the road against Vancouver on Thursday, Derek Van Diest of NHL.com reports.
Pickard stopped 19 of 21 shots faced in Game 4, posting a .905 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA. While the 32-year-old backstop is making his second straight start, any stumbles by Pickard could see Stuart Skinner reclaim his spot as the No. 1 netminder for Edmonton.
