Calvin Pickard was featured in an article we wrote a few weeks back about the young goaltender being NHL ready. Unfortunately, he’s been subjected to playing in the AHL due to the presence of Semyon Varlamov. Reto Berra looks like a capable backup goalie, but it wouldn’t have made much sense to keep Calvin Pickard in a backup role, and give Berra a heavy dose of AHL starts. Teams would rather give their young netminders with starting potential more minutes.
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On November 11th, Calvin Pickard was called up to replace the injured Semyon Varlamov. Today, Sunday November 15th, Colorado placed Semyon Varlamov on the IR retroactive to November 10th. Colorado also claimed Chris Wagner off waivers from Anaheim, and was able to make room for him via Varlamov to the IR.
"Varlamov has been sidelined with a groin injury sustained during practice last Wednesday. He is 3-6-1 with a 3.26 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in 10 games."
It’s unclear exactly how long Varlamov will be out, but Calvin Pickard will likely make the most of his opportunity. He has starter aspirations, and has the potential be a number one in the NHL. It’s difficult to speculate on the future of a goaltender with limited NHL experience, but the short-stint with Colorado last season gave fans reason to be excited about Calvin Pickard. In 2014-15, he appeared in 16 games, going 6-7-3 with a 2.35 GAA and .932 save percentage. In the same season with AHL Lake Erie, Calvin Pickard went 23-17-9 with a 2.61 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Early into the new 2015-16 season, Pickard has been one of the top goaltenders in the AHL. He’s played nine games for AHL San Antonio going 6-0-3 with a 2.27 GAA and .935 save percentage, along with one shutout.
The injury to Semyon Varlamov could end up being a blessing in disguise for this struggling organization. If Calvin Pickard can steal a start or two from Reto Berra, then Colorado could find themselves in an advantageous position. Because if Pickard steps up and plays well in Varlamov’s absence, then all of a sudden Colorado has options. And a goalie controversy might be exactly what this team needs.
Most of Colorado’s trade value on the open market lies within just a few players, with MacKinnon being untouchable, and other players such as Iginla being virtually impossible to move based on a no-movement clause. There’s still a handful of teams that need help in the crease, so an emerging Calvin Pickard gives Colorado the option to move one of Pickard or Varlamov.
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Semyon Varlamov has put up some shaky numbers thus far in 2015-16, although some of that blame can be put on the defense. At the same time, Calvin Pickard is a bit of a fan favorite in Colorado. So what happens if Pickard continues his strong NHL play and makes a case for sticking around? What should GM Joe Sakic do in that scenario? Even if Calvin Pickard doesn’t see time in net or struggles, who is the future in-goal for Colorado? Let us know what you think below.