Whenever the Edmonton Oilers turn to Calvin Pickard, he seems to come up with the clutch performances they need. The 33-year-old wound up stepping up to be the Oilers’ backup goaltender during the 2023-24 season, but felt like a risky bet in that position given that he’d spent the past several seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL). Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub Overall, Pickard played fine in his first season with the Oilers, though there still wasn’t much confidence in him from the fan base should Stuart Skinner falter in the playoffs. As it wound up, that’s exactly what happened, as the Oilers turned to the journeyman goalie when they were down 2-1 in their second-round series versus the Vancouver Canucks. Pickard wound up winning in his playoff debut, evening the series up at two apiece. He would go on to lose Game 5, though Skinner was able to propel the Oilers to victories in each of the next two games to help the Oilers advance. Overall, it was an admirable showing from their backup, who proved he can be counted on when the lights are at their brightest. Now, a year later, he’s doing that once again. Pickard Has Stepped Up Again Once again, the Oilers were forced to turn to Pickard in the playoffs, and yet again the fanbase’s confidence in him was rather low. He had another so-so regular season, and to many didn’t feel like an NHL quality goalie. As he did last year, however, he’s quickly proving his detractors wrong. Pickard was turned to much earlier this time around, as he wound up getting the call for Game 3 after Skinner had a rough first two games. With the Oilers in dire need of some saves trailing their first-round series versus the Los Angeles Kings 2-0, Pickard came in and rattled off four-straight victories to help his team advance to the second round. It’s quite the feat for a goalie who was struggling to find NHL minutes for several seasons during what should have been the prime of his career. Calvin Pickard, Edmonton Oilers (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) “Pickard has overcome so much in his career,” Oilers forward Connor Brown said after Thursday night’s win. “He’s been down and out, so he knows what he can overcome. I think that’s why Picks is able to come in and give us such solid performances night after night.” Having the praise from his Oilers teammates is nothing new from Pickard, who by all accounts is a beloved member of their dressing room. Earlier in the season, Leon Draisaitl gushed about how much they all love playing in front of him. “He gives us a chance to win every night,” Draisaitl said of Pickard in early March. “Everybody in our room loves him. He’s a great teammate to have. We love playing for him.” Related: Oilers Backup Goalie Pickard Emerges as Unlikely Hero of NHL Playoffs The results back that up, as Pickard was able to pick up a career-high 22 wins in the regular season despite only making 36 appearances. Compare that to Skinner, who won 26 games while playing in 51 games. That isn’t to suggest any sort of distain towards the latter, though it does seem that the Oilers play better in front of Pickard. Pickard Will Be Relied on in Second Round Though head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t give any indication on who his starting goalie would be to start the Oilers’ second-round series versus the Vegas Golden Knights, it would be an absolute shocker to see Skinner get the call. Pickard has earned an opportunity to continue on as the Oilers’ starting goalie, and though his leash is short, he’s given both his teammates and the fan base a real reason to be confident in him going forward. His resiliency throughout his career to get to this point is incredible, and is turning into an incredible storyline early in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.