Olivier Rodrigue took two seasons (one of them the pandemic year) to find higher ground in the AHL. Now 24, his time is now or nearing to establish himself as an NHL goaltender. The problem for Rodrigue, and every goaltending prospect of his quality, is the lack of jobs at the highest end of the industry. Just 64 goalies will break camp this fall and Rodrigue isn’t one of the two Edmonton goalies ticketed for the NHL season. The question is this: How far down the depth chart does Rodrigue reside?
OLIVIER RODRIGUE
There’s zero chance Rodrigue plays in the NHL this season. I disagree.
He’s like fifth on the depth chart! Actually, if the Oilers are slotting on merit. He should be No. 3, the AHL starter and first recall option.
Let’s do the math. Okay, I’m doing the RE series right now so have the goalie totals in front of me. I have three goalies playing at least one game in the NHL next season. Stuart Skinner is the starter, Calvin Pickard is the backup and Olivier Rodrigue is the recall.
You forget about Collin Delia? No, but Rodrigue’s resume is far better. He has finished top-10 in the AHL in save percentage over the past two seasons, and last year’s SP (.916) is well clear of Delia. Rodrigue’s SP in 2023-24 was close to Jack Campbell (.918) and in 2022-23 Rodrigue and Pickard sported identical .912 save percentages.
What about Delia? His save percentage last season (in 32 games) was .872. Thomas Milic, the other goalie who played a lot for the Manitoba Moose, delivered a .900 save percentage.
Why did the Oilers sign Delia? Delia is 30 years old and has (recent) NHL experience. You never know, he might post strong numbers in Bakersfield and organizational preference (recall the guy with big league experience) may hold sway. I think Rodrigue is a better goalie full stop.
Why the belief in Rodrigue? He has developed in a similar fashion to Skinner. If you look at the save percentages above, they rhyme with Skinner’s in the AHL: .879; .892; .914; .920 and then the NHL. Skinner’s spike was more impressive but for me Rodrigue has earned at least a cup of coffee in the NHL.
What is the biggest issue? The downbeat is size (Skinner is 6.04, 230) and Rodrigue is listed at 6.01, 175 on the AHL site.
Do you see him as a future NHL starter? No, but what I don’t know about goalies is a lot. I think Rodrigue could have a Laurent Brossoit career, I think he has that kind of ability. The problem for Rodrigue is the problem for all AHL goalies: The opportunities are so rare. Calvin Pickard is 32 and despite being a starter in the NHL almost a decade ago, has had to fight his way back to the show. Rodrigue is a good goalie but not a great one. He’ll need some luck.
New for The Athletic: Oilers’ Oscar Klefbom officially announces retirement: A look at his legacy in Edmonton
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5692893/2024/08/11/oilers-oscar-klefbom-retires/
That was a fantastic read.
My issue on this topic is I feel like we know Pickards top gear. We don’t know what Rodriques top gear is? Avg performance is great for the regular season, but how money is he in big games? What do the hot streaks look like. Can he ‘Silovs’? Delia is waiver pick up protection. Also from what I’ve seen with KK, the back-up goalie spot is vacant on his roster.
Staples on the 2 Mutts rumour seems to lend credence to OP’s conjecture that the rumour is legit.
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/what-to-make-of-new-edmonton-oilers-rumours-about-leon-draisaitl-contract-and-evander-kanes-status?taid=66b96cb96232f30001aa9feb
The 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast has been around for years now and has had numerous interviews with NHL players, commentators and insiders. It’s hosted by Joshua Marshall . . . . Marshall shared with me information about his sources, which lends weight to what the 2 Mutts now report. Frankly, it’s an excellent scoop for the 2 Mutts and of great interest to Oilers fans.
Derek Van Diest has a good article up on NHL.com about the top five Oilers prospects.
What I found interesting is that he has most of them slated to arrive in 2027/28.
I don’t find it unreasonable at all, considering the contracts dropping off just prior, and that they’re going to fill different roles. Also, nice to see Lachance get some love.
LaChance was named co-captain at BU for this coming year – first sophomore ever.
Colby Cohen raves about him.
Will be interesting if he can continue to produce on the PP with Celebrini gone.
Perhaps with new stud centre Matt Copponi even?
Right, I forgot he transferred to BU.
Still have no idea what to make of his over a PPG as 20-year old last year – led Merimack in scoring I think.
What do know if I’ll be following London and BU this season (among others).
Last year was a very good season for Rodrigue – he was very consistent through the year, while upping his games started – I would almost call it a “pop” year.
He is slated to be the 1A – it won’t be true starter but it won’t be 50/50 split (I infer that from Gretzky on Oilers Now recently).
If there isan injury up top in October, who would get the recall? I suspect Delia.
If there is an injury up top in February, who would get the recall? My hope is Rodrigue.
How would you describe Rodrigue’s style in the net?
Is he calm and economical in his movements like Skinner? How’s his puck handling?
What would you say are his flaws/things to work on to get to the NHL?
Far from a goalie expert but the economy of movement vis-a-vis Jack Campbell, when they shared the net last season was noticeable.
He isn’t really flopping around at all but, at the same time, he isn’t making crazy flashy diving saves on cross-seam one-timers.
His rebound control has come along well and seems to be a strength (at least with AHL shooters).
Can’t really say much on his puck handling – sorry.
Appreciate the review.
Jesper Wallstedt fell into our laps. Instead of not only making the high reward pick but also a safe pick. Instead Holland gifted Guerin a possible franchise goaltender for a so-so QMJHLer that’s already out of the organization. Holland didn’t have the patience or foresight to wait 3-5 years.
Having you been pumping up Roby Jarventie over the last while?
As an aside, last season in the AHL:
Wallstedt: 41 games, .910
Rodrigue: 37 games, .916
Rodrigue is two years old – that is a big factor, of course.
You can’t compare a 3rd-4th line mucker with a possible franchise goalie. Jesper has the pedigree and is tracking well just needs the N.H.L reps. Ask yourself would you trade Rodrique-Jarventie and I’ll even throw in Bourqualt for Jesper? Please be honest.
Anything is possible. However, Rodrigue’s numbers have been better at the AHL level.
So logically one might wonder about Jesper’s pedigree and how well he truly is tracking. Furthermore, a trade for Wallstedt is a ridiculous notion in the first place.
100% Wallstedt has more value that Jarventie and Rodrigue.
My point was you being inconsistent with your posts depending on your current narrative.
Yesterday you are pumping up Jarventie and his big body and shot and, today, in order to propagate your narrative on Wallstedt, you don’t even mention Jarventie but simply that the QMJHL pick is out of the org.
When Jarventie is brought up, you pivot from “big body with a great shot” to “mucker.
There is no doubt they effed up that draft pick.
There is similarly no doubt that you shifted your words and opinions on others to propagate that narrative.
Your making it sound like a mucker is dead weight. You don’t win a cup without these types. I’m still pissed the day we traded Maltby for McGillis. As a side note the Maltby trade tree after McGillis nets us Niinimaa-Torres&Isbister-Brule.
Anyhow Jarventie with his broad play has a good opportunity to play for us in the BT-6 where as Bourgault was a straight out bust. A slight skill player that doesn’t skill in the AHL is not making the Oilers.
Jackson was at least able to recoup something for the wasted pick that could of been used to pick Jesper who fell in our lap. Why was he passed over? If Holland had no time for prospects or youth than Jesper was the perfect pick. The instant Jesper was picked his value went up league wide without even playing a game. What does a Jesper-Ceci, Jesper-Barrie, Jesper-Kulak, Jesper-Broberg etc trade fetch in a return?
When was this ever said with a straight face by any serious hockey observer?
It came straight from the horses mouth.
Except that’s not actually what he said.
Holland spoke about rookie mistakes not about not valuing prospects.
Twist it any way you want I know what he said and what he meant. Tell me what kind of shape did Holland leave the farm team in? If not for the Hail Mary job Jackson did this summer we would have the worst prospect pool in the entire league.
That’s not twisting anything – to take his end of training camp statement and conclude he doesn’t care about prospect is, well, twisting at its finest.
Holland was criticized for 3 years for not doing enough at the deadline, not moving 1st round picks and top prospects.
The first time he moved a first round pick was for Ekholm (and there were two in there) and the only time he moved one for a rental was this past deadline.
Holland waited and waited until “the time was now” in order to start moving out higher end futures.
The Oilers have made the playoffs in every year that Holland has been manager and bought at the deadline 5 years in a row and the last couple of years major top draft picks/assets out for cup runs.
Combine that with using draft picks to move bad contracts out (Lucic, Kassian), well, the farm is actually doing allright all things considered.
After the terrible start last year and having to fire his 2nd coach in 4 years Holland handed over the keys to Jackson. Without the hiring of K.K and Coffey (OBC) the Oilers were in deep shit. Holland steadied the ship until it started going sideways and Mr.Jackson stepped in. Holland is long gone and the moves Jackson has made starting with coach K.K have been tremendous.
Well, this is random.
I thought there was a discussion about “Holland not caring about prospects”.
Literally what happens when you are one of the most competitive teams in the league, every single team that is a cup contender has this issue.
I think you are comparing yourself to the wrong end of the horse… Holland likes prospects just fine, but doesn’t like throwing them in the deep end too warly, which was our practice for so many years before he came.
oops typo … early, not warly… too late to edit. my bad.
When all your picks or blade or chuck stesk I can see why Holland marinates them for 6-8 years.
You are aware that Askarov has been available for ages now and still no one will give up anything crazy for him.
So likely the value of JW would not be any higher.
If you phoned up Billy what do you think it would cost for Jesper? Spesking of Askarov maybe he hasn’t been traded because of the cost.
Bourqualt (sic) is already gone! Honestly!
Yes honestly. Do you actually see a slight 21 year-old skilled forward who doesn’t point making the N.H.L. Maybe he can make it on his good looks and being bilingual on a N.H.L reality show.
No wonder Rod is short, he has a lot of growing to do 🙂
Also, his SV% 2 years ago was .872. Looks like Walstedt is far ahead by age
Not bad for a two-year-old.
There is no comparison between the two as far as ceiling.
Definitely fits Holland’s reputation.
Stauffer said recently that there was a story behind the Wallstedt non-pick that he would write about in his future tell-all memoir. So maybe eventually we will know why this happened.
Very interesting I’m guessing some sort of red flag.
In that year, unlike others, the goalie was probably the low risk decision. So in that general sense you are right. Wallstedt is tracking similar to Skinner, good goalie, no clear signs of elite performance yet. I guess they thought more bullets the better but I’m not sure that was true that year. If you were going to take a chance and swing big there were other better options.
I’m not disappointed in passing on Wallstedt given our depth of young goalies at the time, but to ignore Coffey’s advice on Johnson seems quite odd. Pretty sure he gave them a heads up as well, why wouldn’t he, but that was the real miss. Borg seemed like a higher risk, lower upside decision.
Oh yeah, one thing about Vinny Desharnais, he sure talks a lot.
I liked Vinny and I could see him pull back on many occasions because of the zebra and trying to get a good rep with the refs league wide. How many scraps and altercations did Vinny get into last year? He needed more bite for my liking and I think that’s why they gave Brown such a nice term contract. This is a hard job and Brown seems to smartly and when needed pick his spots from what I hear.
It was Vinny’s playoff performance two years in succession that left much to be desired. Then Broberg stepped in, even on his offside he was superior. How could they justify paying Desharnais more than Broberg to stay in Edmonton? They now have a defenseman with more bite that actually knows how to fight at a team friendly cost, in Josh Brown, which Vinny didn’t want. Then he spouts out about how he wanted to stay with the Oilers. I liked Vinny too. But I lost some respect for him and now he’s a Canuck, that’s a good place for him.
Vinny has never been a huge fighter.
I think he fought more last season in the NHL than in any season in the AHL. He was generally 2-3 fights per season in the AHL.
No doubt Josh Brown is more of a fighter – the Pacific division of the AHL will be on notice.
Unlike your narrative Brown will play more games in the N.H.L than you think. Coach K.K will rotate the D more this season unlike Woody and Tippett who both whipped half the team while the other half were fresh&stale at the same time. It wouldn’t surprise me if Brown plays 35-40 while racking up 6-7 majors.
I might be underestimating Brown’s value skill and otherwise. He’s obviously in the Oilers future with the 3 year deal. If he does what he knows is expected of him he may elevate to a cult favourite among the so many Blue Collar faithful in Oilerville.
He might become an Oiler’s legend, but my viewings show him as a very good straight line skater who is poor laterally and can be turnstiled.
I don’t think he is as good as Vinny, but hopefully he proves me wrong.
You might be right – injuries will factor in this season.
I don’t think it’ll come down to injuries Coach K.K benched Skinner-McLeod-Foegele-Vinny this last Playoff. K.K isn’t flashy and a reverse engineer talker like Woody but he’s very much performance wise driven. You Fuk the dog your ice time is limited or even worse your sitting.
Josh Brown’s performance has led to be the 6/7 d-man on a non-playoff team.
The coach was very clear and express, in particular in the playoffs, that, while physicality is important and good, he wanted his players to check with their skates and their stick and not take themselves out of position in order to be physical.
I don’t think willingness to fight is going to be high on the head coach’s checklist of what he’s look for from his defensive group.
It’s a long season you can’t have some snot nosed punk in game 29 run your $110 million dollar German. I know fighting may seem barbaric to you and may even upset you but it’s a necessity to winning the Cup. Florida figured it out and Oilers need a few smart loose cannons on our way to the Cup this year.
Josh Brown in the lineup isn’t deterring anyone from doing anything.
And you know this as a fact even though most skilled N.H.Lers will tell you otherwise.
It will be interesting to see Vinny’s demeanour with the Canucks.
Their two defensive coaches are Sergei Gonchar and Adam Foote neither of which were shrinking violets.
This would be a good spot for Brown to set the tone against our toughest opponent.
Not much lively banter today. I guess nobody knows anything about goaltenders, except they are supposed to stop the puck from entering the net.
Here’s some. Short goalies like smaller players, if they aren’t elite it’s usually a wasted pick. Unless Rod turns out to have Saros abilities at the NHL level, how can he keep a job when there are lots of taller average skill goalies out there? He may get a look with the Oilers or somewhere else, but like Yama who is already on the ropes, why not get a normal sized average (or worse) player?
It’s a contact sport so smaller is a disadvantage. The compensation is top end skating and skill. For goalies with the sticks now every skater has good or better shot velocity compared to pre carbon, and everyone not on the Oilers can get the puck upstairs. Which is why most goalies are taller now, and often linebacker sized like Stu, so when in position they essentially block the entire net out
There are exceptions, but drafting outliers and hoping hasn’t worked out. If a goalie is shorter and exceptional in the draft year, fine, but there aren’t many it seems. the Finn G Vinni will be interesting to watch, he’s 6’2 so we’ll see. Binnington is 6’2 and a rail, but he has only posted one strong year, the Cup year
It all started with Ken Dryden, who actually wasn’t all that big compared to today’s goaltenders. He was only 6’3″ & 207 lb., and he was considered huge. Johnny Bower was 5″11′ & 189lbs, which was generally how big goalies used to be. Thanks for that, I knew I could count on you.
Well I’m not sure what to say thanks
He is a bit shorter than many goalies these days but he is 6’1 – Sarros is 5’10-5’11, no?
Rodrigue is Ryan Miller skinny though.
Yes Saros is short but exceptional, that always is the mitigating factor
Most players aren’t exceptional so that’s what I’m on about
Holy Hell man. Rodrigue is 6’1″.
24 of the 38 goalies (63%) who played at least 50 games over the last 2 season and had a .900 SV% were 6’2″ or less. Also 5 of the top 10 in SV%.
What on earth..
He’s not way short, my point being if at any position your aren’t typical physically, you have to be a higher end player or someone will get your job at some point. Reg season is all fine, after playoffs teams usually want what works then if they can find it
Goalies are taller now. 6’1 isn’t a small fella, but it’s not tall for a goalie. So if we think Rod is a higher end goalie, no worries. If he isn’t he’s in for a battle to find a spot in the league
Lowetide said “Rodrigue could have a Laurent Brossoit career”.
Sure that seems about right. I could see him being a solid backup for many years if he gets a shot here or elsewhere. Don’t see 1A potential in him but he could be a solid 1B with a later career bump like Roloson.
Brossoit might have his chance now.
He just got 2 X $3.3MM and his partner is not known for staying healthy.
Sounds about right. He may exceed that expectation, as often happens because goalies=voodoo and all, but it is a reasonable level for his performance so far.
Interesting factoid… Dominik Hasek’s first 3 years in the league he pit up 0.914 in 5 games with Chicago year 1, 0.893 in 20 games with Chicago in year 2, 0.896 in 28 games with Buffalo in year 3. didn’t look like anything special at that point. His next 8 seasons with Buffalo ranged from 0.919 to 0.937, a whole different level. Finished with 2 yeaars in Detroi 0.915 and 0.907, a year with Ottawa at 0.925 and two more years back in Detroit at 0.913 and 0.902.Yowsa. goalies ARE voodoo….
Speaking of top-10 goalies… although I wasn’t shocked, I was surprised that Skinner didn’t make the list on the NHL site yesterday. Calder nominee, All-Star appearance, followed by two playoffs getting to game 7 of the finals. I think he deserves at least the Ullmark slot.
https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-current-players-ranked-top-10-goalies
I see they also have the Oilers featured today on the 32 in 32 for those interested.
Interesting not a single Canadian goaltender made the list.
I wasn’t surprised, personally.
I mean, an argument can be made that Skinner may have had a better season than one or two of those guys, if you include playoffs, but, really, which goalie on that list would come out for Skinner.
If I’m being honest, Skinner is likely a tier down and in a tier with quite a few goalies for which a similar argument can be made, right?
Hill, Lindgren, Ingram, Daccord, Binnington – even Talbot had a higher save percentage (i know, team structure).