2016 Top 25 Avalanche under 25: #5 Calvin Pickard

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The 2016 BSN top 25 Colorado Avalanche under 25 rolls on with #5, Calvin Pickard. Interestingly, the popular goaltender managed to show a bit of a gap among the staff, receiving two votes for third place, and one as low as seventh, while his average composite score ranked him evenly at the five spot.

The Avalanche selected Pickard in the second round of the 2010 NHL entry draft, as the 49th overall pick, and was the third goalie selected from the draft class.

Who is Calvin Pickard?

The 24-year old goaltender signed his three-year entry level contract with Colorado on March 25, 2011, near the end of his season playing for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. During his first complete season in the AHL, Pickard played in 47 games for the Lake Erie Monsters, notching 20 victories.

He made his debut with the Avalanche in October of 2014 against the Ottawa Senators after an injury to Semyon Varlamov prompted his call-up and backup goaltender Reto Berra was injured in a collision. He returned to the Monsters a few days later only to be recalled again in another three weeks due to Varlamov’s groin injury. Pickard garnered his first NHL win on November 22 in relief of Berra, blanking out all 17 shots he faced and helped the team to a 4-3 overtime win.

Pickard eventually became the starter as Berra struggled and he held on to the backup position when Varlamov returned. Pickard returned to the AHL on December 22 in order to continue gaining experience in the starting role for Lake Erie. He played in 16 games for Colorado that year, earning an impressive .932 save percentage and boasting a 2.35 goals-against-average with the big club.

At the start of last season, Pickard began the term with the San Antonio Rampage, the Avalanche’s new AHL affiliate and split his time between the Rampage and the Avalanche. In 20 games in Colorado, he nearly matched his previous season’s numbers, notching a .922 save percentage and a 2.56 GAA. In both seasons, his save percentage and GAA were better at the NHL level than at the AHL.

During the Ice Hockey World Championship this spring, Pickard made two appearances for gold medal winning team Canada, allowing a lone goal on 35 shots over the course of two complete games.

Over this past summer, Calvin Pickard signed his first one-way contract, a 2-year, $2 million extension.

What is the future for Calvin Pickard?

Pickard displays a lot of upside in the net, positioning himself well and able to make crucial saves. He may not be as flashy as Varlamov, but one of his key strengths is consistency. While his good days may not bring him as high as the Vezina-nominated Varlamov, his lows don’t plummet to the same levels either. He uses his glove hand well and his attitude on the ice impresses. He enjoys competing and adapts well to different game situations.

There are a lot of unknowns going into this season due to the coaching changes so projecting his career trajectory seems almost like reading tea leaves. A lot depends on things out of Pickard’s control. How will new coach Jared Bednar evaluate Pickard’s skill set? Will Varlamov stay healthy? Will the new defensive structures complement Pickard’s strengths? What will be the defensive pairings?

Calvin Pickard should be able to exhibit the same exciting abilities which helped him secure the backup goaltender position. The real question lies with whether he will be impressive enough to challenge Semyon Varlamov for the starting position by the end of the year. With the upcoming expansion draft, the Avalanche will need to make some tough decisions about which goalie to expose at the end of the season. Pickard has the opportunity this season to cement his position as the goalie for Colorado’s future.