The Edmonton Oilers called up goaltender Olivier Rodrigue from the Bakersfield Condors on March 27 on an emergency basis to replace Stuart Skinner who was injured in the Oilers 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on March 26. I’m hoping for a speedy recovery for Skinner, who looked like he suffered a possible concussion or neck injury when he collided with the Stars Mikko Rantanen close to the midpoint of the third period. This also represents an opportunity to see what Rodrigue can do. Depending on how long Skinner is out, the Oilers should consider playing Rodrigue against the Seattle Kraken on March 27 or against the San Jose Sharks on April 3. They should start Calvin Pickard against the Calgary Flames on March 29 and against the Vegas Golden Knights on April 1.
Oilers Should See What Rodrigue Is Capable Of
Rodrigue, who was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Oilers, has never played an NHL regular season game and you never know what you’ve got with him until you play him. He’s been the starting goalie for the Oilers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate for the past two seasons, and there’s no better time than now to play him, depending on how long Skinner is out for.
The optimist in me is hoping that with Rodrigue we could see the second coming of Andy Moog, who was called up from the Billings Big Horns of the Western Hockey League in 1981, and as a rookie played lights out in the Oilers three-game sweep of the mighty Montreal Canadiens in the opening round of the 1981 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Who knows, maybe Rodrigue could duplicate the performance of another rookie goaltender, Ken Dryden, who came out of nowhere to lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup in 1971 and win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Rodrigue could even be another Patrick Roy, who, in his rookie season in 1985-86, backstopped the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup victory over the Calgary Flames and walked away with the Conn Smythe as well. You never know what you have until you try, and if I were the Oilers, I’d give Rodrigue a chance to see what he’s made of. Why not? It’s not as if the Oilers are going to catch the Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division. It’s looking a lot like the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings might be destined for yet another first-round playoff showdown.
Have the Oilers Lost their Will to Take Chances on Some Players?
I don’t know what it is, but the Oilers of today seem to be full of fear to take risks compared to the days when Glen Sather and even Kevin Lowe were the general managers of the team. Sather was the one who took the chance on Moog in 1981 and that was a good gamble. It was the same thing when Lowe traded for Dwayne Roloson in March 2006, as Roloson went on to lead the Oilers to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.
I’m not saying Rodrigue is the second coming of either Moog or Roloson, but we’ll never know unless he gets a chance to see what he’s capable of.
Add Skinner to Long List of Oilers Out With Injuries
The Oilers are currently decimated by injuries to key players, and now you can add Stuart Skinner to that list. Also out are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Trent Frederic, Evander Kane, and John Klingberg. To have the Oilers starting goalie added to this list is concerning. Even though Skinner has had a real rollercoaster of a season, playing great in some games while giving up suspect goals in others, it’s tough to see him out. However, sometimes a positive can come out of a negative situation.
That positive could be that the Oilers can find out what they really have with Rodrigue. What could it hurt to let him start one game while Skinner is out? If he’s successful, play him again. If he flounders, then play Pickard more. We’ll see what Oilers brass decides to do.
