Goalie Calvin Pickard has returned to the Avalanche fold. The team announced Thursday that Pickard, who was a restricted free agent, has signed a one-year contract.
The Denver Post reported that Pickard, 23, has a two-way deal that will pay him $850,000 if he plays in the NHL. He's expected to compete with Reto Berra for the backup position behind Semyon Varlamov in training camp, but Berra has a financial advantage with a one-way contract that has a $1.45 million salary cap hit this season and next.
Pickard went 6-7-3 in 16 games with the Avalanche last season. Varlamov was sidelined because of groin injuries and coach Patrick Roy had lost faith in Berra. Pickard was recalled five times from the minors and had a 2.35 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
He allowed two goals or fewer in eight games and owned an NHL best .936 save percentage when he was returned to the Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL on Jan. 22 at the NHL All-Star break.
The Avalanche have a new AHL affiliate this season, the San Antonio Rampage.
Here's hoping Pickard is given a significant chance to earn the fulltime backup job. I asked executive vice president/general manager Joe Sakic about Pickard's status at the end of last season and this was his response:
"I think a young guy has to play, keep working on your game. Is it going to hurt him to play another year in the minors as a No. 1 goalie, to back up what he did (last season)? No. Are we ruling him out being here (this) year? No. That's what training camp is for."
Pickard won his first two NHL games in relief of Berra. He stopped all 17 shots on Nov. 22 in a 4-3 home win against Carolina and all 25 shots in a 4-3 overtime win Nov. 25 at Arizona. He became the first goalie in NHL history to record his first two career wins in relief in back-to-back team games.
Pickard’s season highlights included a 149:24 shutout streak from Oct. 18 to Nov. 26, the longest by an Avalanche rookie and the longest by any Colorado goalie since Roy (192:37) in 2002-03.
Pickard also set an Avalanche rookie record with 47 saves in a 1-0 overtime loss on Dec. 18 at Pittsburgh. He became the first rookie in Colorado/Quebec history to allow one goal or fewer in three consecutive starts from Dec. 18-21. Pickard, who was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, grew up and lives in Winnipeg. He had a 23-17-9 record with Lake Erie last season to go along with three shutouts, a 2.61 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.
The Avalanche made him their second-round pick (No. 49) in the 2010 NHL draft. His 60 career wins with Lake Erie are a franchise record.