Edmonton Oilers goalie prospect could be the future of the franchise
The Edmonton Oilers have slowly been seeing some steady improvements in net, but goaltender Olivier Rodrigue has been lights in the Oilers farm affiliate in Bakersfield.
Last month, Oilers fans were hitting the panic button regarding the Oilers situation in net.
Stuart Skinner had a rough start to the 2024-25 season, to say the least. While he’s shown improvement over the past 10 games, his performance in the 6-5 loss to the Florida Panthers has sparked doubts about his ability to step up in crucial moments.
According to Oil on Whyte, Skinner still causes concern with his ongoing inconsistency between the pipes, while Pickard will turn 33 before the regular season concludes, alluding to him not providing long-term relief in Edmonton.
Well folks, Olivier Rodrigue has been turning heads in the AHL, impressing hockey enthusiasts with his stellar play between the pipes.
The Chicoutimi, Quebec native has produced a .923 save percentage and 2.53 GAA thus far, which both project to new career-bests. This includes Friday night, when he put on his best performance yet in 2024-25.
Rodrigue stopped all 33 shots he faced, as the Condors blanked the San Jose Barracuda 2-0 at home. It represented the second shutout of his AHL career, as he deservedly took home the First Star of the Game.
Olivier Rodrigue came into preseason training camp with relatively high expectations, but his preseason showcase was ultimately cut short.
The preseason is arguably the most crucial aspect of a prospects career, and Rodrigue has only shown that he’s not an NHL calibre goaltender quite yet.
Now, it appears that Olivier Rodrigue has earned himself an NHL call-up at some point this season.
With that being said, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard should keep their head on a swivel, because Olivier Rodrigue is coming in hot.
