The Edmonton Oilers could have a problem brewing in their crease. When the club traded for Tristan Jarry, it hoped he would be the immediate solution to its goaltending needs.
However, an injury early into his Oilers tenure forced the team to call up Connor Ingram from Bakersfield to fill in the gap. Backup netminder Calvin Pickard, meanwhile, remained as the secondary option.
Now that Jarry is back, the Oilers have three goalies on the roster. And the odd man out could be Pickard.
Ingram has appeared in nine games since getting called up. He’s won five, posted a shutout, to go with a 2.22 GAA and a .917 SV%. Those numbers have earned him more playing time at the NHL level.
Meanwhile, Jarry had a bit of a shaky return on January 13 against the Nashville Predators, but rebounded very well against the Vancouver Canucks, pitching his second shutout of the season.
AS for Pickard, he’s got five wins in 16 appearances this season to go with a 3.68 GAA and an .871 SV%. Those numbers make it pretty clear who the odd man out will be.
The problem the Oilers face is what to do with Pickard. While he would be goaltending insurance moving forward, the team can’t carry three goalies. Despite Ingram and Pickard having modest cap hits, the Oilers just can’t afford three goalies.
Since Ingram has played far too well to go back to the AHL, Pickard could end up hitting the waiver wire. However, that’s something the Oilers would try to avoid at all costs.
Oilers Would Easily Lose Pickard for Nothing
Assuming the Oilers send Pickard down to the AHL. That move would necessitate Pickard to clear waivers. Needless to say, there’s a slim chance he would clear. There are far too many teams needing goaltending help to let Pickard clear.
So, the easiest route could be to trade Pickard. Teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, or Carolina Hurricanes could be interested in picking up another NHL-caliber goalie. While Pickard would hardly be a savior for any of those teams, he would, at least, be a stopgap solution.
The most the Oilers could hope for is a late-round draft pick or a middling prospect. But at least getting something back would be preferable to losing Pickard for peanuts.
Pickard Could Be Valuable Trade Chip
With teams looking for goaltending help, the Oilers could use Pickard as a valuable trade chip. The club could use a depth forward after placing Adam Henrique on LTIR.
Similarly, the Oilers wouldn’t mind adding another depth defenseman, just in case. Edmonton can’t expect to add a significant piece under a million in cap space. Still, the savings from Pickard’s cap hit can help alleviate some of the cap pressure.
It’s also worth noting that Pickard could be part of a larger deal looking to clear cap space. With the trade market heating up, there’s a pretty good chance Oilers fans may get some interesting news in the coming weeks.
The February 4 roster freeze ahead of the Olympics is about three weeks away. So, the clock is ticking.
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