The Edmonton Oilers have placed beloved goaltender Calvin Pickard on waivers, while the Calgary Flames put center Justin Kirkland on the wire.
Both NHL clubs based in Alberta have made one roster move each on Sunday. The Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Calvin Pickard on waivers, while the Calgary Flames put center Justin Kirkland on the wire.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman had the report of the two veterans being waived.
Pickard, 33, has spent the past four seasons in the Oilers organization. This season, he's made 16 appearances and registered a 3.68 goals-against average and a .871 save percentage.
More memorably, Pickard stepped in for Edmonton in the last post-season, keeping the team on the path to its second straight Stanley Cup final appearance. He started in seven games, featured in 10, and came out with an impressive 7-1 record.
Pickard is a favorite among his teammates in the locker room, but Oilers GM Stan Bowman decided to put an end to carrying three goaltenders on the roster. He is in the last year of a two year-contract, earning $1 million against the salary cap.
Calvin Pickard (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)In the meantime, Tristan Jarry, who Edmonton acquired in December, and Connor Ingram, who was traded to the Oilers in October, are leading the charge in the crease now.
Pickard has 191 NHL games in his career, posting a 2.95 GAA and a .901 SP across parts of 11 years in The Show.
If the netminder doesn't get claimed in the next 24 hours, he'll be assigned to the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL. Pickard has featured in 42 contests for the Condors, split between 2023-24 and 2022-23.
As for Kirkland with the Flames, he doesn't have as much NHL experience. He has 50 career games in the league, 41 of which have come in the past two campaigns.
This year, Kirkland has made 20 appearances, scoring one goal and one assist in that span. Last season, the 29-year-old had 21 appearances for Calgary in the NHL, scoring two goals and eight points.
If not claimed, he'll be sent down to the AHL's Wranglers, where he played 14 minor-league games this season.
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