Recalled/Assigned: Calvin Pickard

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Pickard has more NHL experience and also experience with Avalanches system and players. It’s a no brainier to bring him up for this game.

 

[stickty111]

You guys do realize Sparks just came back from injury right? That might be the reason Pickard was called up instead.

 

[ManosArriba]

Pickard is a mediocre goaltender at the AHL level, and that is putting it kindly. I have to hand it to him though, he has a lot of people convinced to the contrary despite being a barely AHL caliber goalie.

 

[rent free]

pickard has nhl experience. thats why he was called up

 

[stickty111]

Pickard is a mediocre goaltender at the AHL level, and that is putting it kindly. I have to hand it to him though, he has a lot of people convinced to the contrary despite being a barely AHL caliber goalie.

Now this is completely wrong.

 

[Buds17]

In line for his first game with his new team (parent club) and it's against his former team. Really good and potentially big opportunity, even if it's for a bit further on down the line, depending on McElhinney's status.

 

[BlueBaron]

I don't understand what's disruptive to call up Sparks over Pickard? Development isn't much at play for either one as they are only up for a week or two.

If only Sparks had the track record of 86 NHL games over 13 NHL games.

Sparks has been much better than Pickard with the Marlies and in the AHL. He earned a call up over Pickard. I'd be hoping we would be calling up players based on merit not just past achievements or something.

He's winning them a ton of games. I mean you can look at it either way, I'm not saying their call was right or wrong, merely trying to suggest some of their potential rationales.

 

[Mr Hockey]

Pickard is a mediocre goaltender at the AHL level, and that is putting it kindly. I have to hand it to him though, he has a lot of people convinced to the contrary despite being a barely AHL caliber goalie.

Pickard looked pretty good at the World Championships, as Canadas #1 and winning silver, last season. I think Willie won tourney mvp?

 

[TOGuy14]

That should have been Sparks. He's been dominant there and deserved the call up.

Pickard has been pretty good overall in the AHL, though slumping recently.

Maybe tie breaker goes to his familiarity with COL and some of their players?

 

[Ratboy]

I want to see how he fares. Should be interesting.

 

[Bluelines]

Because I think he deserves the call up more based on recent results. It's not a big deal and Pickard likely will do just fine.

You don't call up your #1 goalie on the farm to sit on the bench. If Andersen went down I could see Sparks getting the call.

 

[Mr Hockey]

You don't call up your #1 goalie on the farm to sit on the bench. If Andersen went down I could see Sparks getting the call.

I dunno about that ...

 

[2 Slick]

Thank goodness, I thought for sure I was going to have to avoid watching this game if Swiss Cheese Sparks had been in net.

He makes for a fantastic career AHL goaltender potential. but I've seen enough out of him to see that he's not NHL ready and probably never will be. He reminds me a LOT like Justin Pogge. Huge potential, but never amounted to anything in the NHL.

Pickard's first year in the NHL saw him with a .932%, second year with a .922%, it's common sense that the Leafs would go with the more experienced and most glaringly obvious better goaltender statistically backed by FACTS with numbers.

I don't care about potential, I care about facts and statistical proof.

Sparks doesn't have that... period.

No one can or will change my mind about that either.

 

[Fonzieleaf]

Pickard has a lot more NHL experience than Sparks. Despite Sparks having a good record, the edge still goes to Pickard in that regard. Got to go with the guy that has more of a chance winning.

 

[Buds17]

You don't call up your #1 goalie on the farm to sit on the bench. If Andersen went down I could see Sparks getting the call.

That's a possibility. I wonder if contract is a consideration? McElhinney and Sparks are signed for next year, Pickard isn't (though he's still only a pending RFA). Probably isn't too much that separates the three right now, could change in the not-too-distant future.

 

[96]

Can send him down if he plays less than 10 games, which is huge and allows us to try him out for maybe 2 games. Then give McB the spot back if management wants.

 

[Zonk]

I predict (as I did earlier in the week) that Andy will play again tonite and also in Vegas ( if he has a good game tonite).

Pickard played poorly Weds so Sparks goes tonite. Dont think it would be fair to start Calvin after a long flight, especially when there are 2 points to be had. Our offense has it mojo back, Vegas still has us as -120 to -140 favorites.

I believe Pickard has to clear waivers if he is sent back to the AHL so I would think there is a deal in the wind including him.

Sparks played the entire game on Wednesday.

 

[cupcrazyman]

Nothing wrong with giving someone on the farm an opportunity.

 

[Confucius]

Pickard has been pretty good overall in the AHL, though slumping recently.

Maybe tie breaker goes to his familiarity with COL and some of their players?

Wouldn't the Avalanche know his tendencies as well? In this instance I'd say it's to colorado's advantage

 

[Canada4Gold]

Strange that the NHL rules would allow emergency recalls when a normal recall could be made and the necessary cap space was available. We had an open spot with Kap being sent down and the necessary cap space. I get why the Leafs would do it this way if it meant being able to avoid waivers to send him back down, but it's weird that the league rules would allow for emergency recalls when a normal recall could have been done to solve the issue at hand.

 

[Leafblooded]

Strange that the NHL rules would allow emergency recalls when a normal recall could be made and the necessary cap space was available. We had an open spot with Kap being sent down and the necessary cap space. I get why the Leafs would do it this way if it meant being able to avoid waivers to send him back down, but it's weird that the league rules would allow for emergency recalls when a normal recall could have been done to solve the issue at hand.

Narc

 

[Joey Hoser]

Strange that the NHL rules would allow emergency recalls when a normal recall could be made and the necessary cap space was available. We had an open spot with Kap being sent down and the necessary cap space. I get why the Leafs would do it this way if it meant being able to avoid waivers to send him back down, but it's weird that the league rules would allow for emergency recalls when a normal recall could have been done to solve the issue at hand.

I'm not sure why it's confusing.

Let's say hypothetically, that the Marlies didn't have Pickard, we just had Sparks and some unfit-for-nhl backup down there. Sparks is waiver eligible.

In that situation, if there's a day-to-day injury at the NHL level, we'd have to call up Sparks, then lose somebody on waivers, leaving our AHL with nothing.

This allows for Sparks to come up and fill in, then go back down.

It just makes sense to allow that.

 

[Canada4Gold]

I'm not sure why it's confusing.

Let's say hypothetically, that the Marlies didn't have Pickard, we just had Sparks and some unfit-for-nhl backup down there. Sparks is waiver eligible.

In that situation, if there's a day-to-day injury at the NHL level, we'd have to call up Sparks, then lose somebody on waivers, leaving our AHL with nothing.

This allows for Sparks to come up and fill in, then go back down.

It just makes sense to allow that.

That's the purpose of waivers though, to prevent teams from stashing blocked NHL talent in the minors once they get old enough. When we put Sparks on waivers at the beginning of the year if someone took him the same thing would have applied. We would have went out and got a minor league goalie.

I can get behind mid season injury goalie callups perhaps having differing waiver rules, but it's just strange to me that a team can do an "emergency" callup when a normal callup was completely possible. It's not really an emergency. I guess it would just make more sense to me if there were normal goalie call up rules with different waiver rules to send them back down, as emergency tends to be reserved for a situation when normal procedure isn't possible(full roster, no cap space).

 

[Joey Hoser]

That's the purpose of waivers though, to prevent teams from stashing blocked NHL talent in the minors once they get old enough.

Well yeah but the rule isn't designed to force things over a minor injury.

 

[AlienWorkShop]

No one can or will change my mind about that either.

Aw, and I was so much looking forward to discussing it with you