NHL insider's explosive take on a former Avalanche draft-pick is turning heads around the league
Photo credit: Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has delivered an explosive assessment of former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Calvin Pickard, sparking widespread attention and debate across the league.
The Edmonton Oilers' goaltending depth is under the microscope, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas debate whether Pickard's future with the team could be in jeopardy.
NHL insiders reveal honest opinion on Calvin Pickard's future in the NHL.
Antonio Losada from Athlon Sports writes that on Monday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman highlighted the Oilers' choice not to claim former Utah Mammoth goalie Connor Ingram off waivers earlier this preseason.
Ingram cleared waivers and, according to TSN's Chris Johnston, will be assigned to Tucson.
"I want to mention people were surprised that Edmonton didn't take Ingram. What did we learn when we were in Edmonton (during training camp) about Calvin Pickard?" -Friedman
Bukauskas provided the answer from inside the Oilers' locker room, saying...
"He may be the most popular guy in that room." -Bukauskas
At 33, Pickard is entering the final year of his two-year, $2 million contract, carrying a $1 million cap hit. Combined with Stuart Skinner's $2.6 million cap hit, Edmonton's goaltending duo will cost the team $3.6 million this season.
"Yeah. Hugely popular teammate. He's at a million (per season). Now, obviously (available goalies) like (Michael) DiPietro and (Clay) Stevenson would be less, but also Pickard, when he's played, he's gotten W's for the Oilers. I could see (the Oilers) looking at the salary for Ingram and saying no. But the way the players talk about Pickard, I would be curious to see if the Oilers would want to unseat him." -Friedman
Since making his NHL debut with the Avalanche in 2014-15, Pickard has played in 175 regular-season games. He joined the Oilers before the 2023-24 season, serving as their goaltender in 23 games during his first year and appearing in 36 games last season.
"During his two-year, 59-game stint with the Oilers, Pickard has posted a 34-17-2 record iwth a .903 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average." -Losada
While Pickard played just three postseason games in 2024, he took the ice in 10 playoff games last season, starting seven of them, including Games 3, 4, and 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 1 | 31 ANSWERS NHL insider's explosive take on a former Avalanche draft-pick is turning heads around the league Do you think Calvin Pickard is one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL? | ||
| yes | 21 | 67.7 % |
| no | 10 | 32.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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