Oilers ink Pickard to 2-year deal with $1M AAV

The Edmonton Oilers signed backup goaltender Calvin Pickard to a two-year contract extension worth $1 million per season, the club announced Friday.

Pickard grabbed the Oilers' No. 2 netminding job and played well amid Jack Campbell's struggles this past season. Pickard went 12-7-1 with a .909 save percentage in 23 games (20 starts) in the regular season.

The 32-year-old also played three games and started two during Edmonton's second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks, which his club won in seven. Pickard went 1-1 with a .915 save percentage in those contests, prevailing in Game 4 but losing Game 5.

Pickard spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Oilers' AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. He signed a two-year, two-way pact with Edmonton in July 2022. That deal carried a cap hit of $762,500, according to CapFriendly.

The journeyman puck-stopper spent time with five other organizations before landing in Edmonton. He played parts of three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, parts of one campaign apiece with the Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and three with the Colorado Avalanche to begin his career.

Pickard suited up for a career-high 50 games with the Avalanche in 2016-17. He went 15-31-2 with a .904 save percentage that season.

Colorado drafted Pickard 49th overall in 2010.