Vegas passing Pickard through waivers yesterday enables the Leafs to start him with the Marlies, as opposed to acquiring him and having three goaltenders on the pro roster and needing to waive one of Curtis McElhinney or Pickard. The fact that he was available “for free” yesterday is misleading in that any team that wanted to claim Pickard would’ve needed a vacant goalie spot on the roster — which most do not at this time of year — or else the acquiring team would be in the position of giving up assets for Pickard only to expose him to waivers shortly thereafter.
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Calvin Pickard from the Vegas Golden Knights
