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Calvin Pickard addresses whether he knew in advance that Stuart Skinner would be traded to Penguins
Photo credit: Edit from The Hockey News
Oilers backup goalie Calvin Pickard was seen hugging Stuart Skinner for a long time during his last game with the team, prompting speculation he knew about a trade.
The streak of five consecutive games with a point for the Edmonton Oilers came to an end Sunday with a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
Calvin Pickard got the call in goal for the Oilers and had a lot of pressure laid on him, as Montreal controlled most of the game.
He made some big saves, including a couple in breakaway situations, but there was not nearly enough offense to make a game out of it. Jakub Dobes made 27 saves for Montreal, with Zach Hyman getting the lone goal for Edmonton.
The blockbuster trade that occurred between the Penguins and Oilers
However, this loss is part of a series of shake-ups in the roster. Other news earlier in the week saw Edmonton trade Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins in an exchange for another netminder by the name of Tristan Jarry.
Reports since this trade have focused on Oilers' goaltenders and relationships between Pickard and Skinner.
Why everyone has been speculating that Calvin Pickard knew a trade was in the works
In Skinner's final game with the Oilers, Pickard was observed hugging him in a very embracing, long manner, an event which did not go unnoticed and led people to speculate about whether he knew of an upcoming trade.
Pickard clarified this event in an interview after their game on Sunday, stating that this hugging was part of a long-standing tradition they share amongst each other. This action in question occurred during a game against the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 4.
"No," Pickard said when asked if they knew anything about a trade being in the works in advance. "We were just screwing around with everybody."
"Ya (we didn't know anything), because after the first (hug) that happened - it was a long one, because I was so mad at letting that goal in with four seconds left, and we won 9-4 - and then you guys read into it too much," Pickard said. "Then we were screwing around there after the next two wins.
"It doesn't look like we were screwing around, obviously, with (a trade) happening. But that was the truth."
- Calvin Pickard
"Ya (we didn't know anything), because after the first (hug) that happened - it was a long one, because I was so mad at letting that goal in with four seconds left, and we won 9-4 - and then you guys read into it too much," Pickard said. "Then we were screwing around there after the next two wins.
"It doesn't look like we were screwing around, obviously, with (a trade) happening. But that was the truth."
- Calvin Pickard
However, he highlighted how difficult it is to lose some of their most important players in the middle of a season. Skinner, along with defensemen Brett Kulak, are now with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The storyline may pick up again on Tuesday when the Oilers travel to Pittsburgh, where Pickard will have a chance to face Skinner for the first time since being traded. The puck is set to drop at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 15 | 176 ANSWERS Calvin Pickard addresses whether he knew in advance that Stuart Skinner would be traded to Penguins Do you believe Calvin Pickard actually knew that Stuart Skinner was getting traded to Pittsburgh? | ||
| Yes | 111 | 63.1 % |
| No | 65 | 36.9 % |
| List of polls | ||