Former Red Wings Goalie Thriving Now

A change of scenery can do a player good.

Detroit Red Wings fans are no strangers to this phenomenon. Jake Walman was given exceedingly more opportunities with the Red Wings than he previously had with the St. Louis Blues.

Now, Walman has become a number-one defender for the San Jose Sharks.

There are other times when a player doesn’t get many opportunities with one team and then makes good on a longer look. That is exactly what is happening with Calvin Pickard and the Edmonton Oilers.

Pickard is a Colorado Avalanche draft pick who played three seasons with the Red Wings. His time with the NHL club was limited to playing 12 games. In those 12 games, he only started six, finishing with a record of 3-4-1. He had a 4.04 goals against average (GAA) and a .853 save percentage (SV%) when it was all said and done.

Fast forward two seasons later, and he’s proving himself to be a vital piece in the Oilers puzzle.

He stayed with the team after being called up in November last season. Last year and this year, he has a combined record of 23-11-1, a 2.48 GAA, a .904 SV%, and one shutout.

Last night, he gave a tremendous performance, leading the Oilers to a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. He stopped 31 of 34 shots, giving him a .912 SV% on the night.

If Pickard had stuck around, he may have cluttered the goaltending situation further. One of Alex Lyon, Jack Campbell, or Cam Talbot may not be on the team if Pickard still was.

This change of scenery did the Red Wings and Pickard a world of good.