The Colorado Avalanche made their second goaltending trade in less than two weeks, shipping out No. 1 netminder Alexandar Georgiev to the San Jose Sharks for Mackenzie Blackwood.
The contending Avalanche have the fourth-worst goals-against average by team in the NHL. They had made another goalie move on Nov. 30, acquiring backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators for backup Justus Annunen.
The Avalanche also get forward Givani Smith and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick in the deal with San Jose. Forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 second-rounder head to the Sharks.
Goergiev had a 4.62 goals-against average in October, and though he improved in November, he was pulled in a Dec. 3 start after giving up four goals on 12 shots. Colorado rallied to win that game.
Blackwood, meanwhile, made 49 saves in his last start. He has a .904 save percentage compared to .874 for Georgiev, who rebounded with a win in his last start.
The Avalanche have a powerful offense but their early goaltending woes have cost them in the standings. The 2022 Stanley Cup champions entered the week in the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Both goalies will be unrestricted free agents at season’s end. The rebuilding Sharks have prospect Yaroslav Askarov waiting in the pipeline after acquiring him in the offseason.
Conditions on the Avalanche-Sharks deal
Colorado will retain 14% of Georgiev’s contract.
Conditions for Colorado’s 2025 fifth-round pick: Colorado will instead transfer the worse of their current fourth-round picks in 2025 (Colorado’s own or Vancouver’s selection) if at least two of the conditions are met:
Colorado reaches the third round of the playoffs.
Blackwood wins 25 regular-season games from the date of the trade to the end of the 2024-25 regular season.
Blackwood starts 30 regular-season games from the date of the trade to the end of the 2024-25 regular season.
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