The Edmonton Oilers' goaltending situation has become a major talking point after Tristan Jarry suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday night's game against the Boston Bruins. Jarry, who was recently acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade that sent Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh, left the game in the second period. While the severity of the injury is still unknown, the Oilers may need to recall a goalie from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Calvin Pickard took over in net after Jarry's departure and secured the 3-1 win against the Bruins, stopping all 12 shots he faced. However, with a back-to-back series against the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights looming this weekend, the Oilers will likely need to bring up another goalie to serve as Pickard's backup.
Several names have been mentioned as potential candidates for a call-up. According to Oilers insider Jim Matheson, Matt Tomkins is the most likely option. Tomkins, a 31-year-old Edmonton native, has spent most of his career in the AHL and has only six NHL games under his belt, all with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2023-24 season. This season with the Condors, Tomkins has an .893 save percentage in 15 games.
Another potential candidate is Connor Ingram. However, some reports suggest that the Oilers may be hesitant to recall Ingram, as he is still working his way back after missing significant time last season and his performance isn't where the team would like it to be.
Olivier Rodrigue is another option for the Oilers. Rodrigue has been a long-time prospect in the Oilers system. On March 27th, 2025, Rodrigue was recalled by the Oilers from the Condors.
The Oilers' goaltending situation was already a concern before Jarry's injury. The team traded Skinner to the Penguins in hopes that Jarry would solidify the position, but now they find themselves in a precarious situation. If Jarry's injury is serious, the Oilers may need to explore other options, potentially via trade, especially with the NHL's holiday roster freeze kicking in soon. However, with other areas of the team also needing improvement, making another significant trade for a goalie might not be feasible.
In the meantime, the Oilers will have to rely on Pickard and whoever they recall from Bakersfield to hold down the fort. The team hopes to receive an update on Jarry's condition soon to determine the next course of action. Coach Kris Knoblauch has not provided any updates on how serious the injury is. The team's performance in the upcoming games could heavily depend on how quickly Jarry recovers or how long Pickard will have to start.
