Record breaking performance from Oilers top goalie prospect likely led Calvin Pickard to be placed on waivers
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Tyler Ball
Feb 1, 2026 (9:04 PM)
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Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
New details have emerged revealing the reason that Stan Bowman was so comfortable placing Calvin Pickard on waivers comes down to prospect goalie Connor Ungar.
The Edmonton Oilers made the somewhat surprising move to place veteran goalie Calvin Pickard on waivers.
The move leaves the Oilers exposed to him being claimed and losing him for nothing but Stan Bowman and the front office made the move anyway.
With the injury history of current starter Tristan Jarry the move seemed risky to many immediately.
However, the emergence of top goalie prospect Connor Ungar seems to be the hidden reason the Oilers were so comfortable leaving Pickard exposed.
Oilers goalie prospect Connor Ungar continues lighting up the AHL with record setting performance
Last night, Ungar suited up for the Bakersfield Condors and set an astounding franchise record with 52 saves in a game.
With the win and record breaking performance, Ungar now improves to 7-1 with a nearly 0.950 save percentage.
Oilers prospect Connor Ungar (undrafted) made a franchise-record 51 saves in a 3-2 win for the Bakersfield Condors last night!
In the meantime, the Oilers will turn to Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram while Connor Ungar continues to try and earn his place on the Oilers roster to make his NHL debut.
While the Oilers hope not to need Ungar with current duo of Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram playing well he is more than capable of handling a call-up if needed it seems.
As for Pickard, he will now have to wait patiently over the next 24 hours to see if another team claims him.
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NHL analyst Steve Dangle suggests bold mock trade between the Oilers and Maple Leafs
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 1|133 ANSWERS Record breaking performance from Oilers top goalie prospect likely led Calvin Pickard to be placed on waivers Did the Edmonton Oilers make the right decision waiving Calvin Pickard? | ||
| Yes | 77 | 57.9 % |
| No | 56 | 42.1 % |
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