Edmonton Oilers making surprise goaltending decision against Ducks tonight
The Edmonton Oilers are making a surprising decision between the pipes for tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Starting goaltender Stuart Skinner remains out with an injury and backup Calvin Pickard has started the last five games for the Oilers. With that in mind, Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch has decided to give rookie Olivier Rodrigue a chance tonight in what will be his first NHL start.
“He is getting the start tonight,” Knoblauch told reporters when asked about Rodrigue. “It’s very exciting to see a player who put his time and work in rewarded with a game.
“We talked to him a couple of days ago about the possibility of playing and obviously there is a lot of excitement.”
Coach Knoblauch met with the media following today's morning skate in Anaheim to discuss Draisaitl back on the ice, Rodrigue's first @NHL start, Frederic's status & more ahead of the #Oilers matchup vs. the Ducks.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/KgbW7YOq8r
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 7, 2025
This has been a long time coming for the 24-year-old Rodrigue as he was initially drafted in the second round by the Oilers back in the 2018 NHL draft. Rodrigue has been with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors since 2020 and has spent the last three seasons as their starting goaltender.
So far this season, he has an 18-15-7 record and .899 SV% with the Condors. That is a bit of a step back from the 19-12-5 record and .916 SV% that he had last season. For a bit, it seemed like Rodrigue’s chances at becoming an NHL goaltender with the Oilers were starting to dissipate.
Edmonton already has a 26-year-old Skinner locked in as their starter for the foreseeable future and the organization seems to like the idea of having a more experienced backup like Pickard rounding out that tandem. However, with Skinner down with an injury and Pickard needing rest, Rodrigue finally has a chance to show his worth.
It also helps that this game is of little consequence for the Oilers, as they are practically locked into that third-place spot in the Pacific Division. A win could help the team potentially clinch a playoff spot tonight, but this is far from a make-or-break situation for Edmonton.
Rodrigue previously got his first full period of NHL action last month, turning aside seven of the eight shots he faced against the Seattle Kraken.
While he may not stick around with the team going into the playoffs, this could be a massive moment for him going into next fall’s training camp.