Calvin Pickard's departure feels unfair as the team places him on waivers. Did the Oilers just risk losing the wrong goalie?
The Edmonton Oilers have placed veteran goaltender Calvin Pickard on waivers, ending his time in a crowded three-goalie setup where he rarely played. The move risks him being claimed, but the hope is he clears and heads to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
Pickard has been a professional, dependable backup and a positive locker-room presence. He's beloved on the team and widely known as one of the NHL's favorite teammates. He's been a traveled NHLer, but he played exceptionally well as a backup the past couple of seasons in Edmonton, essentially saving them in the playoffs twice.
This season, he had a rough start behind a porous defense. The Oilers amde chances, trading Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry and acquiring Connor Ingram. While their respective play has been questionable at times, Jarry and Connor Ingram have locked down the jobs in Edmonton, leaving Pickard as the odd man out.
Trading him would’ve been ideal—giving him a real shot elsewhere—but he will likely be claimed and get an opportunity with another organization.
This decision will not go over well with his Oilers teammates, and if the Oilers' goaltending situation remains a concern, some may look back on it and wonder whether they chose to let go of the wrong goaltender.
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