It's hard not to feel bad for Calvin Pickard after bad injury luck could've cost him his starting opportunity. The Edmonton Oilers' second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights was shaping into an incredible story for Pickard. He won six games in a row dating back to Game 3 of Round 1, and had a 2-0 series lead over Vegas. However, an injury caused him to miss Game 3, and now Stuart Skinner has taken back control of the net.

TSN reported that “it will probably be at least a week” before Pickard could return. This would take Pickard out of the remainder of this series, which might not last much longer after the Oilers' Game 4 victory. Skinner doesn't have the popular vote amongst fans, but he will be the Oilers' starter for the foreseeable future.

Skinner allowed four goals on 24 shots in Game 3, which had many wondering if he could lead Edmonton through the playoffs. However, he bounced back with a 23-save shutout in Game 4 to put the Oilers on the brink of advancing.

It's unfortunate to suffer an injury, as Pickard could lose his job without fault. Skinner was the starter all season, but Pickard was likely the man going forward if he had stayed healthy. If Skinner wins the series, it'd be hard for Kris Knoblauch to return to Pickard.

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Stuart Skinner has been here before for the Oilers

Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) battles for the puck with Vegas Golden Knights right winger Reilly Smith (19) during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place.
© Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Skinner might not be in the most excellent form right now, but he led the Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup in 2024. The benefit of having an offense as good as Edmonton's is that the goalie doesn't have to be the greatest of all time. The offense can give him plenty of support over a seven-game series, and the Oilers' depth scoring is better than ever in this playoff run.

In this postseason, Skinner has an .857 save percentage and a 3.95 goals-against average. It's challenging to see him struggle that much for the remainder of the playoffs, but the question is whether he can get back to his level from last year. He recorded a 2.45 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage to lead the Oilers to the final.