Calvin Pickard is known in hockey circles as a `battler.`
This term is often used as a compliment, though it wasn`t typically applied to legendary goalies like Martin Brodeur, Grant Fuhr, or Patrick Roy.
Pickard openly identifies as a `journeyman` – an undersized goaltender who, at 33 years old this season, achieved his first 20-win NHL campaign while playing for his sixth different professional organization.
Indeed, who doesn`t appreciate a journeyman`s story?
“We love him in here,” said Leon Draisaitl, expressing the Oilers` locker room sentiment towards Pickard, viewing him as another distinct element that contributes to what feels like a perfectly blended team atmosphere.
As the Edmonton Oilers return home for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, facing a situation with significance not felt locally since roughly 1990 – having the opportunity to seize control of the series and, at minimum, guarantee a decisive Game 7 at home – a discussion about the starting goaltender has arisen.
However, this isn`t the typical goaltending controversy where the primary goalie has struggled, and the backup has performed only marginally better, leading to widespread uncertainty and anxiety about who should start.
The choice confronting head coach Kris Knoblauch for Game 5 against the Florida Panthers – whether to start Stuart Skinner or Pickard – feels different. It`s not comparable to a hypothetical situation where, say, Panthers coach Paul Maurice suddenly had to rely on Vitek Vanicek.
Vanicek is primarily an emergency backup. His career playoff experience is limited to just seven games, with a 2-4 record and an .834 save percentage, and he hasn`t played at all in this spring`s postseason.
But this lack of backup playoff readiness is acceptable for a Panthers team whose playoff identity has been and, for the foreseeable future, will continue to be centered around absolute trust in Sergei Bobrovsky (`In Bob We Trust`).
In Edmonton, Skinner hasn`t cultivated that same unwavering level of confidence. Pickard, on the other hand, has significantly exceeded the expectations typically placed on a backup. He initially joined as an experienced safety net expected to play for AHL Bakersfield but became essential when the Oilers` high-priced free agent signing, Jack Campbell, could no longer effectively perform as an NHL netminder.
Pickard, notably the first player selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in their expansion draft, provided crucial stability for the Oilers on the ice. Off the ice, he seamlessly integrated into the veteran locker room as another relaxed, seasoned player unfazed by any challenges the hockey world might present at this stage of his career.
Much like a well-traveled baseball middle reliever who has crossed paths with a significant portion of the league, when an opponent lingers near Pickard`s crease during the regular season, they are more likely exchanging pleasantries or asking about family than attempting intimidation.
He fits the mold of beloved backups like Greg Millen, Ron Tugnutt, Bob Essensa, Jamie McLennan, and many others – a player who blends into the team culture effortlessly, akin to a comforting drink enjoyed on a lazy Sunday.
“It`s been honestly bothersome over the course my career, kind of getting labelled as a good guy backup,” he admitted one night this season, following a hard-fought 3-2 road victory in Vegas with a short-handed Oilers lineup. “I`ve always wanted to be a good goaltender first, and then the fun guy part will take care of itself. But I`ve always believed in myself. And, I’ve played a few games in a row here…”