The Colorado Avalanche have acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers in exchange for three draft picks, both clubs announced Thursday morning.
The Rangers have received Colorado’s third- and fifth-round selections in 2022, as well as Colorado’s 2023 third-round selection, as part of the trade.
Georgiev, 26, posted a 15–10–2 record, an .898 save percentage, and two shutouts in 33 games with the Rangers in the 2021–22 regular season.
The 6-foot-1, 178-pound Russian goaltender made two additional appearances with the Rangers in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting an 0–1–0 record and a .935 save percentage.
Georgiev is a pending restricted free agent — due a one-year qualifying offer worth $2.65 million — with arbitration rights. He’ll likely join Pavel Francouz between the posts for Colorado in 2022–23.
The Avalanche currently have just two picks in the 2022 NHL Draft: one selection in each of the sixth and seventh rounds. Both those picks will bring up the very rear of their respective rounds, with Colorado’s seventh-round selection (No. 225 overall) being the very last in the draft.
The Rangers, like the Avalanche, do not currently possess a 2022 first-round pick. However, they have six picks over the following five rounds (including two fifth-round selections).
Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin is signed for the next three years to start in goal for the Rangers. At this time, it’s unclear whether they’ll look externally or to one of their prospects to back Shesterkin up in 2022–23.
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