Calvin Pickard Has Another Hockey Job, and That’s Good News

It’s good to see Calvin Pickard back in a hockey job. There probably isn't anything particularly glamorous about being the NHL backup goalie. You spend a lot of nights watching somebody else play. You practice hard. You stay ready. And then, sometimes without much warning, you're asked to jump into the net and hold things together.

Pickard has been doing that for a long time. Now he gets another opportunity with the Minnesota Wild, and it would be nice to see him make the most of it.

Pickard Gets a Start Against the Blackhawks.

Pickard is scheduled to start Saturday's preseason game against Chicago, with the expectation that he could play the full 60 minutes. That gives him a good opportunity to remind everyone what kind of goalie he can be when he's getting regular work. His numbers with Edmonton last season weren't pretty. He went 5-6-2 with a 3.68 goals-against average and an .871 save percentage in 16 games.

But those numbers don't really tell the whole Pickard story. The Oilers used him when they needed someone to step in, and at times he did exactly what a backup goalie is supposed to do: give the team a chance. That became particularly important when the playoffs arrived.

Pickard Was There When the Oilers Needed Him.

Pickard wasn't the guy Edmonton expected to carry the team, but when they needed him, he stepped into tough situations and helped hold the fort. That's not an easy job in Edmonton, where every mistake gets magnified, and every game seems to come with a little extra pressure.

Now he's in Minnesota, and the situation is interesting. If Filip Gustavsson isn't ready to start the season because of his hip injury, Pickard could begin the year as Jesper Wallstedt's backup. Once Gustavsson returns, though, Pickard could find himself fighting to keep his roster spot. That's the nature of the business.

Pickard Is the Kind of Veteran Goalie Who Can Help a Team.

Still, this is where having a veteran like Pickard can matter. A team doesn't necessarily need its backup goalie to be spectacular. It needs him to be reliable, professional and ready when his name gets called.

Pickard has been around long enough to understand that job. And after what he gave the Oilers, it's satisfying to see him get another opportunity. Hopefully, he grabs it.

Hockey has a funny way of rewarding the guys who keep showing up. Calvin Pickard is one of those guys. Good luck.