The Edmonton Oilers fell short of their Stanley Cup goal, losing in the finals to the Florida Panthers in seven games. Overall though, it was a promising season for Connor McDavid and Co., who took down the LA Kings, the Vancouver Canucks, and the Dallas Stars en route to facing the Cats.

One of the strengths this season for the Oilers was defense and goaltending, which has been a problem in recent years. And while Stuart Skinner is the first-choice netminder, Calvin Pickard did a great job when he played. That's resulted in Pickard getting a new deal worth $1 million across two seasons, via insider Frank Seravalli.

Pickard made his presence felt in the second round of the postseason against the Canucks, making two starts and holding his own in between the posts. Overall in the 2023-24 season, Pickard made 20 starts and 23 appearances, compiling an impressive 12-7-1 record with a 2.45 goals against average and .909 save percentage.

He started the year in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors but eventually got called up and filled in the No. 2 spot over Jack Campbell. At 32, Pickard isn't exactly young. He joined the Oilers in 2022 and really got his first chance in 23-24. When Edmonton was struggling in net earlier in the campaign, many wanted them to make a trade, but instead, Pickard came up and proved to be a difference-maker.

Impressive season for Oilers

Although the Cup hasn't been in Oil Country since 1990, Edmonton should be proud of how the campaign went. Yes, winning it all is undoubtedly the goal, but there's nothing stopping them from getting back to the finals.

McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are two of the best players in the world. The supporting cast of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard consistently do their job. The Oilers have evidently fixed their problem on the opposite end of the ice, too. There's no reason to be anything but optimistic about 2024-25.

While one could say Edmonton should've never fallen into a 0-3 hole in the first place, they showed absolute guts to claw back and force a Game 7. Not a lot of teams could do that, especially when you're playing a club as talented as the Panthers.

One major priority for the Oilers over the next year here will be locking down Draisaitl. The Germany native has one season remaining on his current deal worth $8.5 million and will likely get a pay rise after putting up 106 points this past season.

Also, CEO Jeff Jackson is on the search for a new GM after Ken Holland was let go following five years at the helm. Whoever does take over will of course have a huge say in what Edmonton does this summer. A couple of moves to strengthen the depth would be nice.

The Oilers have all the ingredients to continue contending and extending Pickard is definitely a valuable move. The netminder has shown that he can not only be a viable backup but he can also start games in big moments.

A well-deserved deal for the veteran journeyman.