Sometimes in life, the answers to the most difficult questions we face are right under our noses. In terms of the Edmonton Oilers, the answer to solidifying their goaltending situation in the 2023-24 season could be right in front of them in the form of Olivier Rodrigue.
He’s been trending upwards for well over a year and a half down on the farm for the Oilers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Bakersfield Condors, and he’s clearly outplaying Jack Campbell who was sent down to the Condors on Nov. 7. Rodrigue deserves a shot.
The Benefits of the Oilers Giving Rodrigue a Chance
Calling up Rodrigue from Bakersfield is a move you hope the Oilers might be considering. He is currently earning $775,000 a year and could fit under the salary cap. He currently has the best save percentage (SV%) of any of the Oilers goalies in the NHL or AHL this season at .929 SV%. And last season, he posted a .912 SV% in 29 games. You also don’t have to send draft picks and prospects out to get another NHL goalie. It’s a gamble worth the risk and history has shown that when a goalie is ready for his moment, he’s ready.
History Has Proven Young Goalies Can Flourish in Pressure Situations
For all of the armchair GMs on X (Twitter) complaining that Oilers management is wasting Connor McDavid’s prime years by not having a star goalie, it’s important to be reminded that the 1970-71 Montreal Canadiens had a lot of questions about their goaltending while future Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau was their captain. Ken Dryden got called up in late March of 1971 and played only six regular-season games, but shone with a 1.65 goals-against average (GAA). The Canadiens took a chance and started Dryden in the playoffs, and he backstopped them to the Stanley Cup.
Rodrigue’s career comparison might be closer to Patrick Roy. Rodrigue was selected 71st overall in the 2018 NHL Draft while Roy was chosen 51st overall in 1984 by Montreal. Roy also played in the AHL in his first pro season, and in his second year was recalled to the Canadiens where he led them to the Stanley Cup in 1985. As a 20-year-old, Roy became the youngest Conn Smythe Trophy winner ever and was chosen for the NHL All-Rookie Team. Two NHL Hall of Fame defencemen Larry Robinson and Chris Chelios, were on the Canadiens the season Roy got called up, and fans didn’t complain about wasting their careers. It took guts for Montreal management to make these decisions with Dryden and Roy, I wonder if the Oilers brass are willing to take a similar chance with Rodrigue.
Oilers Have Traded Away Too Many Quality Prospects
Last trade deadline, Oilers general manager Ken Holland shipped out defenceman Micheal Kesselring as part of a deal to get forward Nick Bjugstad from the Arizona Coyotes. Kesselring is emerging as a solid NHLer with the Coyotes after being groomed in the Oilers minor league system. The Oilers can’t afford to ship out quality prospects like Kesselring or even current prospect Philip Broberg for goaltending help. That’s why calling up Rodrigue makes sense right now.
Related: Oilers Will Have No Prospects Representing Team at 2024 WJC
The Oilers need to see what they have with Rodrigue before deciding on what they’ll do to solidify their goaltending in the second half of the 2023-24 season. The Oilers’ backup at the moment, Calvin Pickard, is doing a pretty good job holding down the fort while starter Stuart Skinner rests, but is Pickard the answer in the long term? Former Oilers starter Campbell is likely not to start another game for the Oilers this season, or maybe ever. After being sent down to Bakersfield he’s posted a .888 SV% with a record of four wins and six losses for the Condors and has clearly been outplayed by Rodrigue.
The Oilers Need to Take a Chance on Rodrigue
The Oilers are sitting at .500 with a 15-15-1 record before the holiday break. It’s a bit of a miracle that they’ve reached this point by Christmas considering they started with only two victories in the first month of the season. Goaltending was one of the biggest issues they had as both Skinner and Campbell were not delivering the big saves when the team needed it. Skinner has obviously come a long way since then and has straightened out his game, while Campbell may never wear an Oilers uniform again. With the Oilers right up against the cap, and with a cupboard that’s getting very lean on prospects, it might be the perfect storm, and the right opportunity to take a chance on Rodrigue.
I hope he gets called up sooner rather than later from Bakersfield. If he continues to trend up, the Oilers might have solved their goaltending issues internally. If he falters up in the NHL, send him back down to the Condors and go out and make a trade for a goalie before or at the NHL Trade Deadline (without hopefully giving away the farm). Either way, the Oilers need to find out what they have in Rodrigue. Who knows, he could be the second coming of Dryden, Roy or even former Oilers goalies Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog. Wouldn’t that be sweet Oilers fans?
