It seemed inevitable for a while that the New York Rangers would have to switch goalkeepers Alexander Georgievi†
Thursday they did.
The Rangers sent Georgiev to Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2022 fifth round draft pick and a 2023 third round draft pick.
Of Igor Shesterkin locked up as the Rangers franchise goalkeeper, and Georgiev’s ceiling higher than backup, a trade always seemed like the most logical outcome here, especially as Georgiev was headed for a limited free agency this off-season and needed a new contract. With the Rangers pushed to their limits and with several key unrestricted free agents to sign, it was simply a matter of when and where, as opposed to whether Georgiev would be on the move.
Georgiev comes from a 2021-22 season in which he played in 33 games for the Rangers and finished with a save percentage of 0.898.
For his career, he has a .908 save percentage in 129 games in five seasons with the Rangers.
[Related: Avalanche offseason questions: Injuries, salary cap, free agents]
The addition of Georgiev also makes it likely Colorado will bid farewell to the starter for 2021-22 Darcy Kuemper† The Avalanche acquired Arizona’s Kuemper prior to this past season for first-round pick and defenseman Connor Timmins. Kuemper had an excellent regular season in Colorado, but struggled in the playoffs while dealing with some injuries. Even with the inconsistent postseason, he’s still good enough to land a sizable contract in free brokerage and almost certainly fell out of Colorado’s price range given the other free agents Colorado would still like to re-sign (or replace) .
Will Georgiev be a suitable replacement?
His current NHL resume doesn’t really jump off the page from a numbers standpoint, but the talent is there and he’s also headed for the absolute best situation a goalkeeper in the NHL can hope for. Colorado has the best defense in the league with Cale Makari† Samuel Girard† Bowen Byram† Devon Toewsand Erik Johnson and will do a great job of protecting any goalkeeper playing behind them. kuemper, Pavel Francouzand Philipp Grubauer (before signing with Seattle this past season) have all managed to put strong numbers behind that blue line, with Grubauer even finishing in the top three of the 2021 Vezina Trophy voting.
The Rangers have been the exact opposite of goalkeepers in their defensive play for the past two seasons.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports† Give him a call [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @AGretz†
Handel: Avalanche acquires Alexandar Georgiev from Rangers for draft picks originally appeared on NBCSports.com