The Edmonton Oilers went 2-1-0 last week, which included a huge win over their Pacific Division rivals, the Vegas Golden Knights. The week also saw them lose the NHL’s only 50-goal scorer, Leon Draisaitl, to injury in the game against the San Jose Sharks, and Trent Frederic made his long-awaited debut in the loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

​This week’s Oilers’ 3 Stars features a netminder making his long-overdue debut on the list, accompanied by two returning players who have earned their way back onto it.

Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals last week, earning him the Oilers’ Third Star of the Week. In the Oilers’ latest game against the Kings, Edmonton was kept off the scoreboard by Los Angeles’ stingy defence, but the Swede led all forwards with four shots on net in the matinee matchup. That said, the 31-year-old  kicked off the week with a big goal against the Vegas Golden Knights on April 1st.

In the second period against Vegas, Arvidsson tucked a tally past Adin Hill, which stood as the game-winning goal. I was in attendance with the Nation Vacation at T-Mobile Arena, and we got to cheer loudly twice—first when the puck initially crossed the line, and then again after the review for goalie interference went the Oilers’ way and the goal was confirmed. Also, I’ll throw in a little plug here: it was my first time on the Nation Vacation and it was absolutely electric. If you’ve never gone and are thinking of it in the future, GO!

Additionally, in the next game against the Sharks, before Draisaitl left with an injury, the centerman fed Arvidsson in the slot on the power play, and he rifled a one-timer home with a blistering shot—and topped it off with an even better fist pump celly.

Just touching on that particular tally, Arvidsson’s shot from the bumper spot on the Oilers’ power play makes me wonder if that play could become somewhat of a staple on the PP—he generated so much torque and it was so lethal. Moreover, if they ran that play and teams started to catch on and cover him, perhaps he could fake the shot and slide it back to Draisaitl for his one-timer. It could be something worth exploring more, even when the full lineup is back from their injuries.

Overall, Arvidsson has scored five goals in his last 10 games. This is his best stretch of the season so far, and he’s stepped up with all the injuries recently. He’s heating up at just the right moment, and the bonus is that he’s doing it alongside not just Draisaitl as his centerman but also Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, giving the team valuable flexibility for the postseason.

Oilers’ defenceman Evan Bouchard led the team in points over the three games last week, recording four assists and, earning the Oilers’ Second Star of the Week.

In the 3-2 win over the Golden Knights, he recorded two secondary assists while quarterbacking the puck at the blue line and played 23:46 mins, the second highest among Oilers, behind only Darnell Nurse.

Unfortunately, two nights later, he got caught puck-watching on the Sharks’ second goal, but his quick wrist shot from the point, tipped by Jeff Skinner in the second period to become the game-winner, was the turning point in the game, and the Oilers’ blueliner finished the night with two assists.

Additionally, Bouchard led the team with seven shots on net against the Kings on April 5, while Natural Stat Trick shows he also posted a team-leading 71.43% high-danger chances for percentage, and unfortunately, despite his efforts, the puck just wouldn’t get past Darcy Kuemper though.

As an elite offensive defenceman, giveaways are inevitable when you’re trying to make plays. However, overall, Bouchard has stepped up nicely over the past five games with his usual partner, Mattias Ekholm, out of the lineup. Hopefully, this is a sign of him slowly morphing from his ‘regular season Bouchard’ form into ‘Bouchard the Playoff Beast.’

Since the Oilers’ 3 Stars of the Week series started, this is the first time an Oilers netminder has made the list at all—let alone claimed First Star—and it’s well deserved by Calvin Pickard, who averaged a .923 save percentage (SV%) over the three games played last week.

He stopped 20 of 22 shots against Vegas and after giving up an early one, he settled in and went into shut-down mode. The second goal came early in the third on a long-range shot through traffic, but he was dialled in the rest of the way—turning aside seven of eight in the period, including a clutch point-blank stop on Pavel Dorofeyev with 1:43 left during the 6-on-5.

Against the Sharks, he stopped 27 of 29 on the night, which included three high-danger chances—turning aside two of them, with none bigger than the one late in the game. With under a minute left and the Sharks’ goalie pulled, Colin Graff took a cross-ice pass, and Pickard used his head in more ways than one. First, he recognized the play and pushed across laterally, and then, he literally used his head to stop the high-danger scoring chance, keeping his team ahead by one, and securing the win.

Against Los Angeles, Pickard gave his team a fighting chance, stopping 26 of 28 shots for a .928 save percentage, facing five high-danger shots and turning aside four of them.

All in all, in two out of the three games last week, Pickard made two unbelievable stops late in the game with his team holding only a one-goal lead, helping to solidify the wins. Moreover, Oilersnation’s Baggedmilk had some high praise for the Oilers’ netminder on the ‘Better Lait Than Never’ Podcast:

Pickard’s story is not only a cool one but also a story of resilience. He struggled to capture a starter’s role early in his career, bounced between the AHL and NHL, and was initially brought in to be the Oilers’ third-string goalie. But here he is, stepping up as a starter with Stuart Skinner out with an injury.

At 32 years old, Pickard’s story now includes his first 20-win season and a .921 SV% over the last five games. However, this tale isn’t done yet, and I’m especially looking forward to the chapter called ‘The 2024-25 Playoffs,’ as I’m curious if he might step into a larger role than originally expected.

With that in mind, given Pickard’s stellar play of late, does that make you think he should get a bigger opportunity in the playoffs?