Colorado Avalanche Free Agency Profile: Scott Wedgewood
The Colorado Avalanche don’t plan to make a big splash during Free Agency Frenzy. However, one area they may attend to is goal tending.
The Colorado Avalanche have a goalie problem. They have two goalies signed — Semyon Varlamov and Pavel Francouz. The latter has never played in North America. Spencer Martin is a pending restricted free agent. Even if they sign him, he has exactly three NHL games under his belt (4.35 goals against average, .865 save percentage).
Jonathan Bernier, Andrew Hammond and Joe Cannata are all pending unrestricted free agents. Of the three, only Cannata is likely to be signed. But the 28-year-old has no NHL experience and he’s likely to be tapped just for Colorado Eagles duty.
The Colorado Avalanche have a big goalie problem. And for a team that relies so heavily on goal tending, that’s an issue that can hold them back, if not now, then when Varlamov’s contract is up in one year.
Let’s see if goalie Scott Wedgewood, a pending UFA from the LA Kings, could be a solution.
Scott Wedgewood
Age: 25
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 195 lbs.
Position: Goalie
Catches: Left
Previous Contract: 1 year, AAV $650,000
Previous Teams: LA Kings, New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes
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The 25-year-old Wedgewood has played 24 NHL games, recording a 3.05 goals against average and .903 save percentage. The majority of those games came with the Arizona Coyotes during their dreadful 2017-18 season. He was traded to LA just before the trade deadline.
Scott Wedgewood isn’t the most technical of goal tenders. He can get down into the butterfly too soon, getting caught off his feet.
However, he does have good size to his advantage, and he’s very flexible. He has lightning-quick reflexes and can flash the glove with the best of them. Overall, Wedgewood is an athletic goalie with some upside.
Scott Wedgewood and the Colorado Avalanche
Scott Wedgewood isn’t going to answer all of the Colorado Avalanche’s goalie problems. He’s not gifted or technical enough to steal too many games for the team — and that’s something they expect from their goal tender.
That said, Wedgewood does have more experience than Martin, Francouz and Cannata combined — especially since only one of those actually does have any NHL experience. He could provide backup duties for Varlamov while Francouz gets his North American legs and Martin, presuming the Avs sign him, works on his development.
The Colorado Avalanche also have goalie Adam Werner floating around the system somewhere — he signed a tryout with the San Antonio Rampage last season, but there’s been no news of a forthcoming contract. That nonetheless fives the Swede just 4 games of North American hockey experience, all at the AHL level.
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The Colorado Avalanche may ultimately solve their goalie problem through draft and development. However, to tide them over in the meantime, they might consider signing Wedgewood to a one-year, two-way contract.