Edmonton Oilers Have Officially Found An Elite Starting Goalie

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Hunter Bowman
December 24, 2023 (10:40 PM)

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As Edmonton Oilers management actively explores options for a new starting goaltender, it appears they may have a promising candidate right within their ranks.

Olivier Rodrigue is making waves with an impressive season for the Bakersfield Condors, positioning himself as the top goaltender in the depth chart. Despite a relatively small sample size in the AHL, Rodrigue's performance is on a sharp upward trajectory. He boasts a .935 save percentage in nine games, a 2.22 goals-against average, and a record of 4-2-2.

Drafted by the Oilers in 2018, Rodrigue, a 23-year-old standing at six feet one and weighing 174 lbs, has already earned several accolades, including the QMAAA Best Goalie prospect in 2016, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal in 2018, and the U20 World Junior Championship gold medal in 2020.

As the January schedule lightens with only 11 games, it seems sensible for Holland to give Rodrigue a call-up for a couple of starts in the NHL, providing an opportunity to gauge his performance at the top level.

Looking ahead, the Oilers face a challenging schedule with 35 games in a grueling stretch until the end of the season, including eight back-to-backs. Considering this demanding lineup, relying solely on Stuart Skinner for that workload might not be a sustainable strategy heading into the playoffs.

Source: Oilersdaily