Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard clears NHL waivers

Edmonton Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard has cleared NHL waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Pickard, 33, was placed on waivers Sunday, weeks after sliding down the Oilers goaltending depth chart from the backup to the No. 3. It came, in part, due to the emergence of Connor Ingram and his solid play when he was recalled in late December to fill in for the then-injured Tristan Jarry. It also came due to the fact that Pickard’s play has dropped off in a big way this season.

His save percentage had fallen in each of his three seasons in Edmonton, from a .909 in 2023-24, to a .900 last year and a .871 this season. All the while, his goals against average rose from 2.45 to 2.71 to 3.68 this season.

What’s next for Pickard remains unclear, though Oilersnation’s Jason Gregor said Monday he expects Pickard to remain in Edmonton for the time being, taking a break during the Olympics. The Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, has two netminders playing very well: Matt Tomkins and Connor Ungar.

Tomkins, signed as a free agent this summer, has posted a 13-6-5 record, a .913 save percentage and a 2.87 goals against average, while the undrafted Ungar has been nothing short of incredible. He arrived in Bakersfield when Oilers recalled Ingram, and since, has posted a 7-1 record, a .949 save percentage and a 1.74 goals against average. On Saturday night, he set a Condors franchise record with 51 saves in a Saturday win.

Pickard is in the second year of a two-year contract paying him $1 million per year. Sending Pickard down to the Condors, even in a paper transaction, would clear his full cap hit from Edmonton’s salary cap, opening up some options for the team and allowing them to continue to accrue cap space during the Olympic Break.

The Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night before visiting the Calgary Flames Wednesday ahead of the break.