Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] Leafs re-sign Calvin Pickard [1 year/$800,000]

[The Man with a Plan]

I could see him backing up, move on from last years backup.
Sparks can stay with the Marlies.

Sparks out played him tho..

Either way a hard decision is coming from soon as to who gets moved

 

[ShelbyZ]

People keep throwing around "RFA" in here, but technically, he wasn't an RFA yet.

To actually become an RFA, Toronto would've needed to give him a $1.075M Qualifying Offer before the end of Monday.

If he wanted another NHL opportunity, he could've rejected the $800k contract and forced the Leafs hand with his QO. If they didn't want to offer him $1.075M, they could've tried to move him before Monday. If left unqualified, he could've walked as a UFA.

That said, if Toronto had actually qualified him, then he would've had zero leverage as an RFA.

Instead, he took an offer from the Leafs before he even needed a QO.

My guess is he's hoping he can have a good camp/pre-season and force the Leafs to make room for him or trade him to another team, or he gets taken on waivers. If that doesn't pan out, he gets to make a cool escrow free $800k with the Marlies and hit the UFA market in a year.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

McElhinney his 0.934 save percentage led the entire NHL for goalies who played at least 18 games. He is signed for 2018-19 at $850,000

Sparks: Won the Calder Cup, Won the award for the AHL's most outstanding goalie, led the League in GAA (with a 1.79, 0.26 better than the next best), save percentage (0.936) and wins (31). Signed for 2018-19 at $675,000.

Pickard: had a very successful season with the Marlies sharing the AHL award with Sparks for the lowest team GAA, has NHL experience as both a backup and a starter in Colorado, has won a gold and silver medal for Canada at the World Championships. Signed for 2018-19 at $800,000.

Any team looking for a backup goalie at the draft needs to give Kyle Dubas a call.

Since all are subject to waivers I would expect two of the three to be traded rather than risk losing them for nothing.

 

[ShelbyZ]

People keep throwing around "RFA" in here, but technically, he wasn't an RFA yet.

To actually become an RFA, Toronto would've needed to give him a $1.075M Qualifying Offer before the end of Monday.

If he wanted another NHL opportunity, he could've rejected the $800k contract and forced the Leafs hand with his QO. If they didn't want to offer him $1.075M, they could've tried to move him before Monday. If left unqualified, he could've walked as a UFA.

That said, if Toronto had actually qualified him, then he would've had zero leverage as an RFA.

Instead, he took an offer from the Leafs before he even needed a QO.

My guess is he's hoping he can have a good camp/pre-season and force the Leafs to make room for him or trade him to another team, or he gets taken on waivers. If that doesn't pan out, he gets to make a cool escrow free $800k with the Marlies and hit the UFA market in a year.

Doing a little research, it does seem now that maybe Pickard didn't have much leverage at this point... Since he hasn't dressed for 180 games in the last 3 seasons or 60 this past season, and he cleared waivers this past year, his qualifying offer can be a 2-way.

So it's entirely possible that the Leafs gave him a choice between his QO of a 2-way$1.075M at the NHL and less than league minimum to play in the AHL, or $800k 1-way. And had he not signed the $800k deal, they would've submitted the QO, making him an RFA and likely not offering another 1-way deal.

 

[ShelbyZ]

Since all are subject to waivers I would expect two of the three to be traded rather than risk losing them for nothing.

I would think they hope to keep as many as they can for depth.

As for waivers, it's probably unlikely that two goalies get claimed in October. Coming off a season where he handled a starters workload and put up reasonable numbers (considering he was on an awful Avalanche team), Pickard cleared at the start of last season before he was traded to the Leafs.

 

[TheDoldrums]

I would think they hope to keep as many as they can for depth.

As for waivers, it's probably unlikely that two goalies get claimed in October. Coming off a season where he handled a starters workload and put up reasonable numbers (considering he was on an awful Avalanche team), Pickard cleared at the start of last season before he was traded to the Leafs.

Agreed. None of them will bring back anything meaningful in trades. IMO the wisest course of action is to keep Sparks up as the backup and send both Pickard/Mc through waivers. I think there's a decent chance one is claimed, both seems unlikely. Whoever survives is great depth in case of injury or Sparks faltering. Best case, they both slip through for even more security.

 

[ShelbyZ]

Agreed. None of them will bring back anything meaningful in trades. IMO the wisest course of action is to keep Sparks up as the backup and send both Pickard/Mc through waivers. I think there's a decent chance one is claimed, both seems unlikely. Whoever survives is great depth in case of injury or Sparks faltering. Best case, they both slip through for even more security.

Additionally, if they both clear, you can now trade one to a team looking for depth that can safely stash them in the AHL without waivers (IE how the Leafs got Pickard in the first place).

 

[GeeoffBrown]

Didn't the Leafs give up a 6th round pick for Pickard? I doubt they are too concerned if they lose him to waivers, since they didn't give up anything of value to acquire him. Pickard has a nice save % at the NHL level, so hopefully he will get a shot somewhere.

 

[Leafidelity]

Goaltending depth is always welcome

 

[ITM]

i like this move.

To TOR
Tanev
2nd in 2020

To VAN
Carrick
Pickard
2nd in 2018

I don't get the Tanev love. Has he ever played a healthy season of NHL hockey? Why would we ever feel obligated to zone in on acquiring him?

I'd rather insert one of Borgman, Rosen or Holl and sign someone to fill another spot then spend any asset on this perennially injured player.

 

[cyris]

Doing a little research, it does seem now that maybe Pickard didn't have much leverage at this point... Since he hasn't dressed for 180 games in the last 3 seasons or 60 this past season, and he cleared waivers this past year, his qualifying offer can be a 2-way.

So it's entirely possible that the Leafs gave him a choice between his QO of a 2-way$1.075M at the NHL and less than league minimum to play in the AHL, or $800k 1-way. And had he not signed the $800k deal, they would've submitted the QO, making him an RFA and likely not offering another 1-way deal.

The only little leverage he could have had would have been an offer sheet or at least the threat of one.
As long as the offer sheet is bellow somewhere around 1.35M there would have been no compensation.
Also Toronto wouldn’t have been able to trade him for a year. Which could have forced them to either let him go or make him the backup.

That said finding a team to give him that offer sheet could have been difficult. They just don’t get used in the NHL right now.

 

[ottomaddox]

I don't get the Tanev love. Has he ever played a healthy season of NHL hockey? Why would we ever feel obligated to zone in on acquiring him?

I'd rather insert one of Borgman, Rosen or Holl and sign someone to fill another spot then spend any asset on this perennially injured player.

This rampant "The Marlies are the cure to every issue" is going to drive me nuts this offseason. We have possibly 6 players to replace. Dermott and Johnsson have already been part of the team before the playoffs started. The chances of filling every void with Marlies is really slim. How can I say that with such confidence? Easy. Mike Babcock is still the head coach. We have to try to improve the team and we have to put a good product on the ice.

 

[ITM]

This rampant "The Marlies are the cure to every issue" is going to drive me nuts this offseason. We have possibly 6 players to replace. Dermott and Johnsson have already been part of the team before the playoffs started. The chances of filling every void with Marlies is really slim. How can I say that with such confidence? Easy. Mike Babcock is still the head coach. We have to try to improve the team and we have to put a good product on the ice.

Preference in this instance isn’t suggesting the Marlies will supply all of the Leafs needs. Preference for options on the Marlies over Tanev (in particular) in this instance is a matter of selecting the best of available assets.

That’s a far cry from stating Andrew Nielsen is preferable to acquiring Ristolainen in trade or potentially signing Doughty as a free agent...Right?

 

[ffh]

Somebody tell dubas he is gm of the leafs now not the Marlies anymore

 

[Menzinger]

Somebody tell dubas he is gm of the leafs now not the Marlies anymore

And NHL GMs shouldn’t resign RFAs?

 

[LeafsNation75]

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Its a win-win resigning. Leafs don't risk pickard getting a small offersheet (which means they can't trade him and thus he has to be waived or made the backup). Pickard gets 800k either in the AHL or another trade (leafs recovering their 6).

 

[Halla]

One-way deal, or two-way?

1 way. wont cost any against the cap is sent to AHL, which is all that really matters in TO

 

[Halla]

So, Carrick goes in the Tanev trade and Sparks goes in the Skinner trade?

why do the leafs need skinner with Hyman,Marleau and Johnsson the clear top 3 LW?
doubt the leafs have any interest in trading for a UFA winger. Signing JVR would be better than trading
Sparks+1st + something else for skinner

 

[HockeyFan4Lyfe]

you sell high on sparks, let pickard be backup to andersen, and mcgoalie as a mentor to kaskisuo in the ahl

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Could be a backup.

 

[Brock Radunske]

Mac is toast and sparks will be backup, leaving Picks the #1 job on the marlies.

 

[Brunomics]

This guy should not have been in the AHL last year. Only reason was depth on Toronto. I'd take him on the Isles in a second to back up.

I still see him as starter material. Get him back on a team in a backup or a 1b situation and let him have a chance at winning a job.

 

[eramosat]

After his re-signing, what is his waiver status...does he have to clear again, or does last time still count?

I tried to get this from the thread, but am unsure, and clueless as to season-over-season waiver eligibility.

My guess is...he's not exempt. At which point, I have to go back 9 pages for the chess game. So many teams could use a goalie of this caliber.

 

[rent free]

After his re-signing, what is his waiver status...does he have to clear again, or does last time still count?

He still has to clear if he is placed on waivers.