The Minnesota Wild added some needed insurance in net Wednesday, locking up Calvin Pickard on a one-year deal as free agency opened.
The contract is worth $1 million for the 2026-27 season, and it gives Minnesota a veteran option while incumbent starter Filip Gustavsson works back from offseason hip surgery. That could leave Pickard in position to back up Jesper Wallstedt, the team’s second-year shot stopper, early in the season.
Pickard arrives with plenty of mileage. He has played 191 NHL games across six different teams, and he’s been around long enough to understand the value of simply keeping a team afloat when the starter is unavailable. Even after a rough 2025-26 season that saw him clear waivers, he still brings experience to a goalie room that suddenly needs it.
His numbers last season weren’t pretty - a 3.68 goals-against average and an .871 save percentage in 16 games - but his time in Edmonton earned him a different kind of reputation. With Stuart Skinner struggling in consecutive postseasons from 2024-25, Pickard was the man the Oilers turned to, and he delivered enough to become a useful playoff answer. His 8-2 record in Edmonton was a major part of the team’s back-to-back Cup Final runs.
Now the veteran journeyman lands in Minnesota as what amounts to a No. 3 option, a practical fit for a club with big ambitions. The Wild are eyeing a Stanley Cup push in the final year of superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes’s contract.
Minnesota also brought back Mason Shaw on a two-way deal. Shaw, a former fourth-round pick of the Wild, returns to the State of Hockey after carving out a reputation as a middle-six sparkplug at the AHL level.
In Other News...
Wild Make Another Quiet Bet That Could Matter More Than Fans Think
The Wild added another low-key piece to their long view, signing forward Max Shabanov to a one-year deal for the 2026-27 season. It is the sort of move that can disappear in the noise of a busy offseason, but Minnesota has shown a willingness to keep looking for value wherever it can find it, especially with players who still have some runway left in front of them.
Shabanov arrives after the Islanders chose not to give him a qualifying offer, opening the door for him to reach unrestricted free agency. His track record still gives the Wild something to work with, especially after the offensive numbers he posted in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk, but the next step will be figuring out whether he can bring that production over and stay available long enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Just Made A Veteran Trade That Says Plenty About The Plan
The Wild and Flames completed a veteran-flavored swap that reshapes the back end of Minnesotas roster and the long-term balance of its draft cupboard. Calgary is retaining half of Blake Colemans $4.9 million cap hit, and the trade also sends a package of future picks to the Flames, underlining that Minnesota is paying for proven help rather than waiting on younger, less certain options.
There is also a contract wrinkle that helps explain how the deal came together. Jake Middletons modified no-trade clause kicked in July 1, and Calgary was not on his 15-team no-trade list, which opened the door for the move once the sides started working through the details. For the Wild, the immediate question now is less about the mechanics of the trade and more about how quickly the new pieces settle into a lineup that has been looking for steadier, more seasoned answers. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Guerin Just Put Wild Fans In A Familiar Trade Bind
Bill Guerins summer approach has been pretty familiar for Wild fans: stay patient, keep shopping, and walk away when the price gets too steep. The Minnesota general manager said the club has backed out of some trade discussions after the asking prices climbed beyond what it was willing to pay, even as other talks simply failed to line up. For a roster that still has areas to address, it is the kind of stance that can sound prudent one day and maddening the next.
Guerin also made clear there is still time left to find help, which is why the market remains worth watching for Minnesota. The Wild have options, but they are operating in that uneasy middle ground between wanting to improve and refusing to overextend, a spot that often defines how this front office handles business. For now, the question is whether patience leads to the right fit or just another round of near misses. [Read more 🡒]