Colorado Avalanche have had a bit of a goaltending problem to start the 2024-25 season.
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak scores against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev in the second period at Ball Arena in Denver Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
There has been a philosophy in some NHL circles that goalies are a bit like running backs: unpredictable year-to-year performance, often with shorter peaks than players at other positions, but the very best are still worth big bucks. It does appear that more GMs around the NHL have decided to splurge if they believe they’ve found their guy.
That’s the case for Georgiev. He’s got enough of a track record to get time to figure it out. How much time is debatable, but we’re probably not near the end of his runway yet.He is under contract for next season, but the cap number doesn’t really offer much job security. His .928 save percentage last year was gaudy, but he only made 12 starts and the competition was … advantageous.
The Sharks have used all of their salary retention slots, so to get Blackwood down to $1.18 million or Vanacek down to $1.7 million, the Avs would need to pay a third team to help out.Utah has Connor Ingram under contract for next season, but maybe the team to be named will check the UFA landscape and decide to stick with Vejmelka. He’s never had great numbers, but the Coyotes were often been a mess in front of him. It’s a massive year for him and his future bank account.
Could he sign and compete with Annunen for the spot opposite a more established guy, and eventually win the job? Sure. Don’t rule it out, but don’t expect it, either. Three rookie goaltenders have won the Stanley Cup in the cap era.Hill went to Vegas, ironically in part because he couldn’t stay healthy in San Jose, and the Sharks traded for … Kahkonen. Availability has been an issue for him — he’s still never played more than 35 games in an NHL season.
If Georgiev rebounds this season, it’s probably going to cost the Avs to keep him. If they want an established goaltender to replace him, it’s also not likely to be cheap.
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