The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks have made a trade. Colorado is acquiring Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood along with Givani Smith, and a 2025 fifth-round pick for Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, and a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-round pick. The Avalanche are also retaining 14 percent of Georgiev’s salary in the trade.
We have traded Alexandar Georgiev and Nikolai Kovalenko to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Mackenzie Blackwood and Givani Smith. pic.twitter.com/04rknVkWGX
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 9, 2024
This had been a long awaited rumor between the Sharks and the Avalanche. Early in the season when the Avalanche goalies were struggling, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet via NHLRumors.com had speculated the Avalanche wanted to upgrade their goaltending and Blackwood was their prime target.
Mackenzie Blackwood has been traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Colorado Avalanche according to @Sheng_Peng. Colorado obviously is still looking for a (good) goalie. pic.twitter.com/ThQpGW5clv
— Rono (@RonoAnalyst) December 9, 2024
Blackwood has shown his ability to be a great goalie in the league, but he has been on bad teams and that trend continued with the Sharks.
Mackenzie Blackwood traded to #GoAvsGo
He is having a strong year on a bad team. His fantasy potential is high if he can continue playing at this level on a team that can score a lot of goals.https://t.co/O9VagiCfcZ pic.twitter.com/XHRZ7SCTIQ
— Frozen Tools (@FrozenTools) December 9, 2024
With the trade becoming a reality, many wonder if can he translate these numbers to a contender. Recently the Avalanche traded for goaltender Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators fro Justus Annunen. Wedgewood just shutout his former club the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
NHL Rumors: Colorado Avalanche Want To Upgrade Their Goaltending
Like Blackwood, Georgiev is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Colorado is trying to contend for a Stanley Cup and the way Georgiev started the season, there was a need to upgrade. However, Georgiev had been turning it around recently, and so had the Avalanche defense in front of him, but GM Chris MacFarland felt a need was necessary.
2024-25 Stats:
Alexander Georgiev: 8-7-0 | 3.38GAA | .874 SV%
Mackenzie Blackwood: 6-9-3 | 3.00GAA | .911 SV%Giving the Avs a .911 goalie is such a huge boost. Let’s not forget that part #GoAvsGo
— Drew Livingstone (@ProducerDrew_) December 9, 2024
Even though Georgiev posted the most wins a couple of seasons ago with 38, he has not made the timely save, the Avalanche thought he would when they acquired him from the New York Rangers after winning the Stanley Cup in 2022.
NHL Rumors: The Colorado Avalanche may be falling short in net
Now the Avalanche hope that Blackwood along with Wedgewood can be the duo that brings that back to the Stanley Cup. In addition, the Avalanche will need to continue to play that “neutral zone trap” to win games to protect him.