Draisaitl praises Edmonton Oilers' Pickard after waivers experience: 'We love him'
The Edmonton Oilers had to make a tough decision in waiving Calvin Pickard, and his absence is going to be felt in the locker room.
Pickard wound up clearing waivers on Monday afternoon, meaning that he will remain with the Oilers organization, but his NHL future is in doubt. This could be the end of the road for the 33-year-old goaltender in an Oilers uniform.
It makes sense that Edmonton waived him as his play was starting to decline, and he was among the worst statistical goalies in the entire league. He hadn’t played a game in a few weeks, and the Oilers were tired of running three goalies on the roster.
The writing was on the wall, but that didn’t make things any easier for his Oilers teammates. Pickard was beloved in the dressing room and was among the most popular players among his teammates.
His departure will leave a massive hole in that locker room, and Leon Draisaitl wasn’t shy about talking about Pickard’s impact after Monday’s practice.
“I think I speak for everyone in here that [Pickard is] one of the greatest teammates all of us have had,” Draisaitl said. “He did a lot of great things for this organization. He played a lot of big games and a lot of big wins. That part of the business is always tough, to see people go or leave for a little bit. Not easy, certainly.
“He’s a great goalie, and he’s a great human being, so he’s going to be okay.”
"Our mindset has to shift to defending."
Leon Draisaitl shares his thoughts after an #Oilers practice day at @RogersPlace.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/7ntltvlkZJ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 2, 2026
Edmonton’s goaltending has not been fantastic of late, but it has become clear that the coaching staff has become much more comfortable with a tandem of Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram.
Part of being a Stanley Cup-contending team is making difficult decisions like this. Draisaitl added that it hurts to see Pickard going down after having gone on two long playoff runs together.
“When you go through stretches like the last two years, you build friendships,” Draisaitl said. “You really have to dig in, and you really find out who you can go to war with… I can’t shut off the emotions; he’s one of my best friends. I’m going to miss him no matter what.
“At the end of the day, it’s part of this world we live in.”
Pickard clearing waivers does leave the door open for a potential return to the Oilers later this season. If one of Jarry or Ingram goes down with an injury, it’s likely that Pickard will be getting the phone call to come up.
Draisaitl seemed optimistic that this isn’t the end for the New Brunswick native in the Alberta capital.
“We love him in here and, who knows, maybe down the stretch he’ll be back and playing big games for us,” Draisaitl said. “He’s done amazing things for this organization, and hopefully there is a time down the road where he can show it again.”
Goaltending has been a controversial topic among Oilers fans for quite some time, but there was nothing but love inside Edmonton’s dressing for Pickard.