Calvin Pickard’s last game in the NHL was in Toronto against the Leafs.  He got tuned up by Andreas Johnsson and pulled for Anthony Stolarz, who started the next Flyers game. The life of a goalie is never easy, but that was an entire Hollywood movie of tragedy right where he’d had triumph a few months before. In a movie, you get a redemption arc. In real life, you get waived.

Today Pickard was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes, who have an oft-injured Antti Raanta out again:

Raanta has appeared in 12 of the team’s 23 games so far this season due to a lower-body injury that kept him out for most of November. He returned three outings ago but allowed 14 goals before exiting mid-game Tuesday in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Is this the end of the line for Pickard and Toronto? It may well be simply due to Arizona’s need to keep Pickard on their NHL roster for the long term. If the Leafs organization thinks there is a problem to solve in the net for the Marlies, they’ll have to look elsewhere.

They may not see it as a problem at all. With Eamon McAdam getting a chance to play, and Kasimir Kaskisuo at least well enough to be the backup, they might just want to roll on as they are.

McAdam was the man in net to get Sheldon Keefe his 158th, franchise record win last night.

Toronto Marlies