Draft Prospect Profile #6 - Calvin Pickard

I am new to this site, hello everyone. Anyway, I feel that our priority is to draft blueliners. I was absolutely dissatisfied with our defense in the 2009-2010 season. I feel that Mathieu Roy and Kris Russell were the only decent defenders.

If were are to keep adding goalies, I feel they should be veteran ones. We have too many young netminders in our system.

Welcome, Heavysoviet!

You’re absolutely right that our defensive corps needs work, but I think Howson did a nice job of laying a foundation in last year’s draft. I would expect to see more changes to the D done via trade this offseason.

As to Pickard, I think it’s unlikely that Howson will select him in the first round, but we’re trying to provide a picture of the top 15 or so prospects because some could well slip down into the later rounds.

His save percentage is awfully high given his GAA and W-L record.

I noticed his record and GAA, too. That could just mean that he was on a terrible team that couldn’t score enough to give him some wins. How many times this year did we see Mason or Garon play out of their minds and only allow two or three, but we can only muster up one goal? It doesn’t take away from the goaltender’s ability.
I agree, though…I don’t see Howson taking a goaltender in the first. I would love to get a great scorer, but I would love to see a big bruising blueliner even more. Commodore fell in the tank last year and who knows how Hejda will be. It wouldn’t hurt to get a big guy to stay in front of the net and CLEAR HOLMSTROM OUT OF THE CREASE FOR ONCE!!! Sorry…had to let that out.

Pickard’s in the position of being a good goalie on a really bad (and really young) team – I looked and on average he was facing eighteen more shots a night than other goalies in the WHL. I think it says a lot about his mental toughness that he’s still game for going out, night after night.