Toronto Maple Leafs: Calvin Pickard signs new deal
By James Reeve
Shortly after agreeing terms with Connor Carrick, the Toronto Maple Leafs also announced the re-signing of impending RFA goaltender Calvin Pickard.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltending depth chart will have various options next season, with Calvin Pickard returning on a one-year deal.
Pickard will carry a cap hit of $800,000 – a drop from the $1 million cap hit he had this past season.
The 26-year-old netminder originally joined the Leafs in a deal that saw Tobias Lindberg and a sixth-round draft pick sent to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The @MapleLeafs announced today that the hockey club has signed goaltender Calvin Pickard to a one-year contract worth $800,000. #TMLtalk
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) June 20, 2018
Since joining the Leafs organization, Pickard has found himself playing second fiddle to Garret Sparks in the AHL, playing for the Toronto Marlies.
His spell with the Marlies has been rewarded with a first Calder Cup in the team’s history and Pickard could be set to compete for the starting role next season.
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Questions remain about Sparks’ role with the Maple Leafs; will he make the step up to the NHL permanently or be traded while his stock is so high.
For Pickard, it offers a year to assess where he fits in within the organization and gives him another opportunity to land the starting role with the AHL club – with Kasimir Kaskisuo expected to step up next season.
Pickard played 33 regular season games and three playoff games on the way to the Calder Cup victory, sporting a 2.31 GAA and .918 save percentage in the regular season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a number of free agents they need to make decisions on and it appears that new General Manager Kyle Dubas is wasting no time in getting deals done.
Pickard’s signing was the second one of the day and fans of the Maple Leafs can expect more deals to be announced in the coming days, with Free Agency set to begin on July 1.
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What do you think of this deal Toronto Maple Leafs fans? Are you happy Pickard is sticking around? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.