Alexandar Georgiev has rebounded nicely after a slow start to this season. After being temporarily thrusted into the #1 role when Igor Shesterkin injured his groin on December 3rd. He’s proven to be a more than capable backup with starting goalie potential.
Remember, the 25 year-old was flirting with a 5 GAA and an .850 SV% heading into December. His numbers have improved drastically over the last few months to 7-7-2 record with a 2.98 GAA and an .898 SV%.
it has several goalie starved teams interested in acquiring him.
Golden Knights want Alexandar Georgiev
Georgiev has been on the market since the summer. That’s largely due to the Rangers not being able to keep the pending RFA next season with the inevitable cap crunch once Adam Fox’s and Mika Zibanejad’s extensions kick in.
According to multiple reports, the Rangers have yet to receive any offer GM Chris Drury would consider.
Recently, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said that the Oilers were interested in acquiring him.
“Georgiev is out there. They are talking about him and there’s no way the Rangers are keeping him,” Kypreos said. “He comes in at $2.5M the rest of the year. He wants to be a number one goaltender and he’s not happy in New York. I don’t think it would take much more than a third rounder (to get him),”
You can now add the Vegas Golden Knights to the mix as Robin Lehner hit the injured list with a shoulder issue that may require surgery.
Per sources, the Golden Knights have also expressed interest in New York Rangers backup Alexandar Georgiev, who we previously reported let it be known that Georgiev feels he’s ready for a bigger opportunity elsewhere. There are likely others.
The Daily Faceoff
Rangers unlikely to trade Georgiev…unless
The question for Drury is simple: Is it really worth trading Georgiev this season?
If the Rangers were to trade their backup, would they really be comfortable with Keith Kinkaid as Shesterkin’s understudy? That’s what Drury needs to be sure about. There’s no reason to trade him and scramble to acquire another solid NHL netminder for a “break glass in case of emergency” scenario.
Unless the deal is too good to pass up. (That means better than a third round pick)
In January, I spoke with a knowledgeable source to gauge what the market is for Georgiev, and if the Rangers could do better than a third rounder.
“If you wait until the draft, everyone knows they can’t qualify him so it won’t be any higher,” the source explained. “They can’t qualify him at the end of the season – if he takes the qualifier, the Rangers will be in a bind and everyone knows that. So no one is really going to step up (their offer).”
Should that be the case, I feel that Georgiev is more valuable as Igor’s insurance policy this season than a third round selection in 2022.
More must-reads: