Breaking down whether or not the Edmonton Oilers should give Olivier Rodrigue a start

The Edmonton Oilers lost starting goalie Stuart Skinner to injury in a game where the team received a lot of criticism for their lack of aggression in standing up for their goalie. While the Oilers goaltending has always been subject to criticism, Skinner is undoubtedly the team’s best option. Obviously the hope is that he returns to health, and to top form, for the playoffs.

In the meantime the Oilers are left to continue on with backup Calvin Pickard. While unheralded, Pickard has been a solid backup for the Oilers. That said, some of Pickard’s worst games have come under the context of pushing for the starting role. He will have the chance to prove himself with a heavier workload, but he will not be the only Oilers goalie with a chance to improve his stock.

Enter Olivier Rodrigue. Like Skinner before him, Rodrigue is not a highly touted prospect, but has slowly built up his resume over the past few seasons. The 24-year-old has gotten into an NHL game for the first time, a relief appearance for Pickard, but it is time to reward Rodrigue for his work by giving him his first NHL start. By the same token, it would benefit the Oilers to have a look at their third string goalie as well. 

Rodrigue’s play is trending upwards

Rodrigue has had a bit of a down season, though his usage has risen for the Bakersfield Condors. For the first time since the 2021–22 season his save percentage has dipped below 0.900%. During that season, Rodrigue did not look promising, even spending time in the ECHL. With Ryan Fanti turning pro during the 2022 offseason, there was some thought that Rodrigue would be passed by the rookie altogether. 

However, this would prove to be a pivotal point for Rodrigue, who turned his trajectory. The 2022–23 season saw him share the crease with Pickard, the two even posting similar results. While Rodrigue’s workload was still smaller, the results of this season alongside Pickard is some proof of concept. 

Since then, Rodrigue has slowly upped his number of starts, firmly the Condors starter this season. The Condors themselves are no longer as strong as in seasons past, though raw stats like save percentage and goals against average are not directly correlated from the AHL to the NHL. At some point there is only one way to find out if Rodrigue has a chance to survive as a regular NHLer, to throw him into the fire. 

Finding a start for Rodrigue

Rodrigue is not exactly forcing the Oilers into giving him NHL time, meaning that injury opportunities are the key to him getting his foot in the door. The Oilers are battling for playoff seeding, as well as to clinch their playoff spot in general, but the lack of desperation plays in Rodrigue’s favour. 

There is no telling when Skinner might return to action, but the Oilers next set of back-to-back games is April 13 and 14. If Skinner is not back in action by then Rodrigue will be in line to face either the Winnipeg Jets or likely playoff opponent the Los Angeles Kings. The game against the Kings is massive, potentially deciding home ice advantage in the playoffs. The Jets are one of the best teams in the league this season. Neither one of these games seems ideal for a first NHL start. 

Naturally the Oilers will hope Skinner is back by then, but with no guarantee this means that the Oilers should be looking to get Rodrigue a start before then. The soonest opportunity comes Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks, which might be as good an opportunity as ever. The Oilers play the Sharks on the April 11 as well as the Anaheim Ducks on the April 7 as other potential options to start against weaker teams. 

Playing a rookie goalie could help focus the Oilers against weaker competition, a potential benefit to the risk. Finding Rodrigue a game before Skinner returns will give them clarity on where he stands. There should be a concerted effort to get Rodrigue into a game as soon as possible to find out, but also to let him settle in if he is needed for the mid-April back-to-back.