November 18 after Semyon Varlamov suffered a groin injury. Pickard earned his first win on November 22 after coming in to relieve an ineffective Reto Berra, Pickard stopped all 17 shots he faced in an eventual 4-3 Overtime win. After more poor play from Berra, Pickard became the starting goaltender and continued in impressive form until Semyon Varlamov permanently returned to the team, after which Pickard became the team's primary backup goaltender. Pickard was returned to Lake Erie on December 28, in order to resume a starting goaltender role. In the 2015–16 season Pickard began the year with Colorado's new AHL affiliate the San Antonio Rampage, he was recalled early on in the season when Semyon Varlamov suffered a groin injury. He would return to the club in late December when Reto Berra injured his ankle, Pickard recorded his first NHL shutout on January 16, 2016 against the New Jersey Devils. As a restricted free agent, Pickard was signed to his first one-way deal with the Avalanche, agreeing to a two-year, $2 million contract on July 5, 2016. In his first full season in the NHL in 2016–17, Pickard was slated as the backup goaltender, however with an early season-ending injury suffered to Varlamov, Pickard was thrust into the starting role for the Avalanche. He established a career high in making 50 appearances, leading the last placed Avalanche in save percentage, goals against average and wins. Expansion draft selection, waiver exchanges In the off-season, having been exposed at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Pickard was the first player selected by the Vegas Golden Knights on June 21, 2017. Pickard was poised to be the Golden Knight's backup behind Marc-André Fleury heading into their inaugural season, and even went as far as holding a contest with Vegas fans to design his goaltender mask. However, on October 3, the team claimed goaltender Malcolm Subban off waivers. With the Golden Knights deciding to go with a tandem of Fleury and Subban instead, Pickard was placed on waivers on October 5, in order to be sent to the team's AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. He cleared the following day, but a few hours after clearing, Pickard was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2018 sixth-round draft pick and Tobias Lindberg. As he had already cleared waivers, Pickard was immediately assigned to the Maple Leafs affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. On April