It Tells You Everything About The Oilers Cup Math
Pickard didn’t lose the net. It moved on without him. Once Tristan Jarry returned from injury and Connor Ingram started looking like a real NHL goaltender instead of a placeholder, the Oilers’ crease became a two‑chair table. Pickard was left standing, helmet in hand, waiting for a seat that wasn’t coming back.
His late stage numbers didn’t help. A .871 save percentage and a 3.68 GAA don’t survive a Cup chase unless you’re carrying a halo or a legacy ring. Pickard had neither. What he did have was last spring’s goodwill — the “steady veteran who didn’t flinch in the playoffs” aura — but goodwill doesn’t override roster math in February.
This move is the Oilers admission that everyone was waiting to hear: the three‑goalie experiment was a stall tactic, not a strategy. It bought them time, not clarity.
Suddenly there is clarity of a sort
Jarry is the starter. Ingram is insurance.Could someone claim Pickard on waivers? Most certainly. The whole NHL is seeing what an outstanding Penguin Skinner has made. Pickard was shoulder to shoulder with Skinner for two seasons, including two Stanley Cup Championship runs.
A veteran with playoff reps and a cheap ticket always draws looks. But the Oilers are betting the league sees the world their way: a goalie who can help in a pinch, but not one you rearrange your season for.
The real story isn’t Pickard. It’s the Oilers choosing direction. Cup chases aren’t built around sentimentality, nor is any team in the NHL. They’re built on decision-making. Edmonton just made one.
The real story isn’t Pickard. It’s the Oilers choosing direction. Cup chases aren’t built around sentimentality, nor is any team in the NHL. They’re built on decision-making. Edmonton just made one.
Still, Pickard. Deserves all the credit in the world for his tenure as an Edmonton Oilers championship contender. He was key on a great team for two seasons, plus half of one.
— Citizen X (@MackMcColl222) February 3, 2026
