The Colorado Avalanche re-signed goalie Calvin Pickard to a two-year, $2 million deal on Tuesday, according to the team. He was a restricted free agent prior to being re-signed.
Pickard’s one-way deal will cost the Avalanche $1 million in cap space annually through 2017-18.
BREAKING: The #Avs have signed @cpickard1.
Read More: https://t.co/MvqTPuci8vpic.twitter.com/XOBTVn7JRU
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 5, 2016
CORRECTION: Calvin Pickard’s cap hit is $1M ($925,000 & $1,075,000) #Avs
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) July 5, 2016
Pickard was drafted by the Avalanche with the 49th overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
The 24-year-old appeared in 20 games with the Avs last season, posting a 7-6-1 record with a .922 save percentage and 2.56 goals against average. Pickard made two appearances for Canada in this year’s World Championships, logging a .971 save percentage and .50 goals against average.
He went 6-7-3 in his rookie year (2014-15) with a .932 save percentage and 2.35 goals against average.
What the Calvin Pickard Signing Means for the Avs
With Calvin Pickard returning to Colorado, starter Semyon Varlamov will have to be mindful of his presence. After a down year for Varlamov, featuring a 2.85 goals against average and .914 save percentage, Pickard may be in for more starts if he plays well in the early going.
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Pickard still stands as Colorado’s goalie of the future, so with locking him up for two years, and for cheap, they can continue to evaluate his play and determine his value as he enters his potentially bigger contract years.
The young goalie is on an upward trend, and if he plays well this year, it may open up the possibility that Varlamov is either traded mid-season or exposed in the 2017 Expansion Draft.
