The Edmonton Oilers were given good news on Sunday as goaltender Calvin Pickard seems to have avoided a more serious injury after a nasty collision in a game on Saturday night versus the Seattle Kraken.
“We expect him to be back on the ice in a few days,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said when asked about the status of Edmonton Oilers his backup goaltender. “His neck is pretty sore, obviously being cautious, but he should be alright.” Understandably, Pickard is feeling the effects of the collision as he was pushed heavily into the goalpost and took the weight of Noah Philp, who couldn’t avoid bumping into his teammate.
Pickard left early in last night’s 5-4 preseason win over the Seattle Kraken Saturday night. He was accidentally knocked over with about eight minutes remaining in the first period of preseason action. It appears Pickard should be good to go for the start of the regular season.
After the incident, Pickard got up on his own and, following a quick assessment from team doctors, decided to leave the game. Head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed earlier today that the veteran netminder is in good shape and should be ready for the season opener on October 9.
Pickard’s health is critical for the Oilers, as he’ll be relied upon to support starting goalie Stuart Skinner . If he had been sidelined, the Oilers would have likely turned to AHL option Olivier Rodrigue for backup duties. Rodrigue played well in the Oilers’ win over Seattle, but he might not be ready for a regular NHL role.
