The Edmonton Oilers are making moves in the crease, and Calvin Pickard is the odd man out.
On Thursday, the Oilers placed the veteran goaltender on waivers, signaling a shift in their netminding strategy as they continue to lean on Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry as their primary tandem. Pickard, who hasn’t seen game action since Jan. 8 against the Winnipeg Jets, now finds himself on the outside looking in.
It’s been a tough go for Pickard this season. In 16 appearances with Edmonton, he’s posted a 5-6-2 record, a 3.68 goals-against average, and a .871 save percentage.
Those numbers paint a pretty clear picture: consistency has been hard to come by. And in a Western Conference playoff race where every save matters, the Oilers are opting for stability and upside in their current duo.
Still, there’s a bit more nuance here. Just last season, Pickard put up a respectable .909 save percentage in limited duty - a sign that he’s capable of holding his own in the right situation.
Even this year, his .900 save percentage before his most recent stretch suggests he might still have something left in the tank. For teams dealing with injuries or instability in net, that could be enough to take a flier on the 31-year-old via waivers.
Pickard’s NHL journey has been a winding one. Flyers fans might remember his stint in Philadelphia during the 2018-19 season.
He appeared in 11 games, going 8-4-2 with a .863 save percentage and a 4.01 goals-against average. Not exactly numbers you want to write home about, but he found ways to win games - and that’s something coaches don’t easily forget.
The big question now is whether another team sees value in a veteran backup who’s been through the NHL grinder. Pickard has shown flashes of reliability throughout his career, and in a league where goalie depth can vanish overnight, he might not stay on the waiver wire for long.