Calvin Pickard was reassigned to AHL Lake Erie on Thursday.

Pickard was reassigned to AHL Lake Erie on Thursday.

Analysis:

Pickard had served has the backup to Semyon Varlamov for each of the last four games, so he'll head to the Avs' minor-league affiliate to see more action while the NHL breaks for the All-Star Game. The team had recently recalled Reto Berra from his conditioning assignment at Lake Erie, so it would seem likely that Pickard will remain in the minors even after the Avalanche resume play. However, should Varlamov or Berra sustain some sort of injury in the near future, Pickard would rank as the organization's first call-up.