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Calvin Pickard’s resilience is paying off with Masterton Trophy nomination, potential Game 1 playoff start with Oilers

7 1
11.04.2025
Edmonton Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard was recently named the team’s nominee for the 2025 Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to “the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”

Pickard has been filling in on the Oilers’ starting role over the last couple of weeks due to an injury to Stuart Skinner, after serving as a backup for the club since last season. However, his journey to becoming a regular in the NHL hasn’t been without its challenges. In the 15 years since he was first drafted, the netminder’s story is one of resilience, overcoming adversity, grinding in the minors, and seizing the opportunity in his NHL resurgence.

Pickard Struggled to Stay In the NHL Earlier in His Career

Pickard was drafted 49th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2010 NHL Draft and spent four seasons playing with the Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL before making his NHL debut with the Avalanche during the 2014-15 season. In 16 games with Colorado, despite a 6-7-3 record, he posted a .932 save percentage (SV%), and it seemed like he was on the verge of establishing himself as a regular NHL netminder.

He stepped into the starting role during the 2016-17 season due to an injury to Semyon Varlamov, but the Avalanche were the worst team in the league that season. Pickard posted a .904 SV% in 50 games and while it was a solid effort given the struggling team he was on, it wasn’t enough to solidify his place. As Varlamov returned to the lineup, Pickard found himself back in the backup role, and soon after, the Avalanche left him unprotected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, where he became the first-ever selection by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Heading into the 2017–18 season, the netminder was poised to be the backup to Marc-André Fleury in Vegas. However, the team claimed Malcolm Subban off waivers just before the start of the season and eventually traded Pickard to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he found himself back in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.

Calvin Pickard's NHL journey:

Drafted 49th overall by Colorado in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Selected by Vegas in the........

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