Rangers trade Alexandar Georgiev to Avalanche

Alexandar Georgiev is headed to Denver. Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Rangers trade goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to Avalanche for three draft picks

By Adam Stites | Last updated 7/7/22

The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev for three draft picks in a trade with the New York Rangers, the teams announced Thursday.

Georgiev, 26, started 117 games over five seasons with the Rangers, holding opponents to an average of 2.94 goals per game. He spent his first NHL seasons as the team's second option behind Henrik Lundqvist and was relegated to the same role with the emergence of Igor Shesterkin, winner of the 2022 Vezina Trophy, the award for the top goalie in the league.

In exchange for Georgiev, the Rangers will receive third- and fifth-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, which begins Thursday, as well as a third-rounder in 2023.

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The trade likely means Darcy Kuemper's time with the Avalanche is over despite starting all six of the team's Stanley Cup Final games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kuemper, 32, is due to become a free agent this offseason and is reportedly too expensive for Colorado to retain.

Earlier in the offseason, the Avalanche kept Andrew Cogliano with a cheap one-year deal. Among the team's other impending free agents are center Nazem Kadri and winger Andre Burakovsky. Colorado will also want to soon make an effort to extend the contract of star center Nathan MacKinnon, who has only one year left on his deal.

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