With Alexandar Georgiev faltering, the Colorado Avalanche gave Justus Annunen a chance to be their goaltender, but inconsistent play led to his trade to Nashville on Nov. 30.
Two weeks later, Annunen may get a shot at beating his former team when the Predators visit the Avalanche on Saturday night in Denver.
Annunen displayed flashes of the talent that prompted Colorado to take him 64th overall in the 2018 draft. He went 6-4-0 for the Avalanche before the trade, but his .872 save percentage was an issue, and combined with Georgiev's inconsistencies, Colorado was at the bottom of the NHL in goaltending.
Annunen made 35 saves in Thursday's 4-1 win at Dallas, his first victory for Nashville. The retooling Predators snapped an eight-game losing streak -- with three of those setbacks coming in overtime.
Juuse Saros has received the bulk of the work in goal for Nashville and has put up a 2.72 goals-against average despite the team's poor record.
The Predators have skilled players leading the way. Defenseman Roman Josi sets the pace with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists), followed by Filip Forsberg (nine goals, 10 assists) and former Avalanche center Ryan O'Reilly (seven goals, 10 assists).
Nashville's defense and goaltending haven't been an issue in its 1-5-3 stretch. Five of those eight losses were by one goal, and only twice did an opponent have more than three goals.
Thursday was the first time in 10 games the Predators scored at least four goals.
"We want to be harder to play against, and kind of consistent with that," O'Reilly said. "It's not going to get any easier against Colorado."
The Avalanche looked lackluster in their 4-1 loss to Utah on Thursday night, due in part to the team playing at home for the first time since Nov. 30 and an illness running through the team. Nathan MacKinnon had the only goal and still leads the NHL with 47 points.
MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are the only teammates in the top five in scoring in the NHL. MacKinnon has 11 goals and a league-best 36 assists, while Rantanen is tied for fourth in goals (18).
Ross Colton has nine goals and was leading the team in that category before suffering a fractured foot on Oct. 28. He has a goal in four games since returning from the injured list.
Offensive firepower hasn't been the problem for Colorado, but rather keeping the puck out of its own net. Coach Jared Bednar said the change in goaltenders -- they also swapped Georgiev for Mackenzie Blackwood -- has been helpful, especially in the penalty kill.
The Avalanche killed off 14 of 16 penalties during their 4-1 road trip before giving up one to Utah.
"Goaltending did not help that for a long portion of the season, and now that the goaltending is playing better, the penalty kill numbers are better," Bednar said.
Blackwood, who was acquired Monday in a four-player trade that included Georgiev going to the San Jose Sharks, could get the start in net on Saturday night but he has also been under the weather.
Blackwood served as Scott Wedgewood's backup on Thursday night, which indicates he might be feeling better.
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The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
Toronto Blue Jays fans don't have much to complain about. Despite losing 5-4 on Tuesday to the New York Yankees, their team leads the AL East by three games heading into play Wednesday against the Yankees. But not everything is perfect north of the U.S. border. Keegan Matheson, Blue Jays reporter for MLB.com, echoed that sentiment during Tuesday night's loss to New York in a post shared on X. "The #BlueJays need more from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and I don't understand why that's only being whispered instead of said out loud," Matheson wrote. Matheson has been beating this drum recently, and he's spot-on. Guerrero Jr., who signed a 14-year, $500M extension in April, hasn't produced superstar numbers. Through 99 games, Vladdy has a .283 average, 13 HRs and 48 RBI. Per ESPN, the 26-year-old is on pace for 21 HRs and 77 RBI, which would by far his lowest full-season totals in those categories since his rookie season in 2019. Although they have one of MLB's best records, the Blue Jays (59-42) lack pop in the lineup. Toronto ranks 20th in the majors in home runs with 105. If Vladdy finds his power stroke and turn it on in the final months of the regular season, the Blue Jays will go from being a playoff contender to a threat to win the World Series. If he doesn't, the Blue Jays aren't getting their money's worth.
Milwaukee Brewers Jacob Misiorowski was back on the mound on Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners, and even though he pitched just 3.2 innings, he continued to show why he is one of baseball's most exciting young talents. Prior to be pulled after 64 pitches, he allowed just three hits, walked one and struck out seven to continue his stunning start to his big league career. He also continued to light up the radar gun in a way that no other pitcher in the modern era has. Following Tuesday's start, where he regularly clocked in at over 101 mph, he has now thrown 39 pitches this season that have eclipsed 101 mph on the radar gun. He has done that in just 29.1 innings over six starts. By comparison, every other starting pitcher in Major League Baseball has tallied just 17 pitches of 101 mph or higher — combined. But it's not just about how he stacks up with pitchers this season that is staggering. It's that he is near the top of the list for 101 mph pitches for a career. Here are two of his 101 mph heaters from Tuesday. The ball just erupts out of his hand at the hitters. When you add in his mid-90s change-up and high-90s breaking pitches he is already one of the nastiest pitchers in the majors. It is that sort of electric stuff that made him a National League All-Star after just five appearances. For the season, he has now struck out 40 batters in 29.1 innings of work (that is 12.27 per nine innings), allowed only 15 hits and just eight earned runs. And five of those earned runs against came in only one start. Given his age and with the way teams today are extremely protective of their pitchers, he is probably going to see his pitch counts and innings closely monitored this season. When he is on the mound, though, he is quickly becoming appointment viewing.
The Philadelphia Phillies, other than bullpen help, are looking to add a power-hitting outfielder at the trade deadline. Ideally, such an outfielder would also be a right-handed hitter. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan linked the Phillies to two outfielders who fit that description: a right-handed hitting outfielder with power. Passan also predicts the Phillies will go "all in" at the trade deadline, and either slugger could be a fit. "If they can also add a right-handed-hitting outfielder with power -- Adolis Garcia is in the mix, and Luis Robert Jr. would play, too -- it will be a successful deadline for a team whose starting pitching is good enough to carry it deep into October." Adolis Garcia and Luis Robert Jr. are two players who have showcased immense power potential in their MLB careers. In 2023, Robert hit 38 home runs, while Garcia hit 39 of his own. Both have taken a step back since then, with Robert's regression hitting a lot harder. But either would make for a nice acquisition for the Phillies at the deadline. While both are right-handed-hitting outfielders, their role in the outfield would be different. Robert could platoon with Brandon Marsh in center field, or take over there completely and send Marsh to left. Garcia, meanwhile, could only play the corners, and he'd take over for Max Kepler in left. But, regardless of where they line up in the field, their bats would be the primary reason they'd be brought to Philadelphia. This season, Garcia is hitting .230 with a .675 OPS, 14 home runs and 57 RBIs. Robert, on the other hand, is hitting just .206 with a .636 OPS, 10 home runs and 40 RBIs. Garcia is 32 years old and is under team control through 2026 with one year of arbitration left. Robert, at 27 years old, has a $20 million club option for 2026, but with his struggles this season, he's likely a rental. While the Phillies are more often linked to closers, the Phillies could use a bat like Robert or Garcia in the lineup. As Passan reports, with the Phillies expected to go all in, they could bring in one of these two right-handed sluggers to bolster the lineup. They may cost a bit, but they would be welcome presences in the lineup.