The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks have gotten collectively on a giant commerce relating to their creases. The Avalanche announced they’ve acquired Mackenzie Blackwood, Givani Smith, and a 2027 fifth-round choose from the San Jose Sharks for Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2026 second-round choose, and a 2025 fifth-round choose.
It’s fairly uncommon to see an NHL group completely transfer out the netminders they began the 12 months with however that’s precisely what the Avalanche did by early December. Colorado started the 12 months with a mix of Georgiev and Justus Annunen however the two have been changed with Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood.
The Avalanche have had the league’s worst goaltending this season and it’s not significantly shut. Colorado sits useless final within the league with a .866 save share and twenty ninth in objectives towards per recreation with 3.55.
Blackwood ought to assist significantly in that division. He’s managed a 6-9-3 report with the Sharks this 12 months coupled with a .909 SV% and three.00 GAA. He’s given up 53 objectives this 12 months in San Jose however a few of that may be attributed to the poor efficiency in entrance of him as his xGA is just 39.7 in response to Hockey Reference.
Colorado’s protection has been greater than able to solely permitting 766 photographs on their netminders this season rating eleventh within the league. They’ll additionally shed some wage within the deal which is one other bonus. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the Avalanche retained 14% ($476K) of Georgiev’s remaining wage so the group will save roughly $700K within the swap.
Smith additionally offers some flexibility for Colorado towards the underside of the lineup. He cleared waivers earlier Monday (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman) and could be moved between the Avalanche and their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, unencumbered for the following 30 days.
The actual shock on this deal is Georgiev. His inclusion was probably vital for the Avalanche given their wage cap image and the dearth of want to hold three netminders on the energetic roster. Nonetheless, it felt like the right alternative for the Sharks to make a gap for prospect Yaroslav Askarov on the NHL roster.
He’s simply having the worst season of his profession and will probably be limping into unrestricted free company subsequent summer time. He’s produced an 8-7-0 report for the Avalanche this 12 months however has a dismal .874 SV%. Georgiev might discover extra success with much less stress to win in San Jose however this isn’t the 12 months he’d wish to have contemplating his subsequent contract is at stake.
The actual prize on this deal for San Jose is Kovalenko. He was a sixth-round choose by Colorado within the 2018 NHL Draft however didn’t come to North America till final 12 months. He noticed his ice time lowered in latest weeks because the Avalanche drift towards a wholesome lineup however nonetheless carries loads of pedigree as a prospect.
His last two years within the Kontinental Hockey League had been particularly good. Kovalenko scored 32 objectives and 89 factors in 98 video games with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod from 2022 to 2024. He’ll probably push for top-six minutes with the Sharks which was a prohibited pathway in Colorado.
