Calvin Pickard will start for Oilers in second game of season against Canucks

Going from Skinner to Pickard in the second game of the season is a somewhat surprising move by the Oilers, who usually use their backup every third game.

Last season, Skinner made 50 starts, Pickard made 31, and prospect Olivier Rodrigue made one. Skinner went 26-18-4 with a .896 save percentage, while Pickard posted a 22-10-1 record with a .900 save percentage.

Come playoff time, Pickard took over the net for Skinner following two losses in the first round. He led the Oilers to four consecutive wins over the L.A. Kings and two wins over the Vegas Golden Knights before suffering an injury that resulted in Skinner getting back into the net. The two goalies combined for a .888 save percentage over Edmonton’s 22 playoff games.

While general manager Stan Bowman put his confidence behind Skinner potentially being better with a new goalie coach during training camp, this decision suggests the Oilers might not give the 26-year-old a tremendous amount of runway if he isn’t getting the job done. The trade with the Utah Mammoth for Connor Ingram earlier this month means Edmonton has another starting goalie option in the American Hockey League if they want to make a change.

Other than switching goalies, the Oilers appear set to roll with the same lineup against Vancouver on Saturday that scored three goals on 35 shots against Calgary on Wednesday. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl both scored goals on the power play, while former Flame Andrew Mangiapane buried his first goal as a member of the Oilers.