The Colorado Avalanche pulled off a stunning overhaul in the crease last season. The season began with Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen. Several of us had anointed Annunen as the heir apparent to Georgiev.
But by mid-November, it was evident that things weren’t trending in the right direction. The overhaul started with Annunen heading to Nashville for Scott Wedgewood, and then Georgiev heading to San Jose for MacKenzie Blackwood.
The move came up roses last season. The Avalanche turned a seeming weakness into a strength, despite the sour end to the season.
Fast-forward to this year, and Blackwood’s injury to start the campaign clouded the certainty he provided last season. But the emergence of Trent Miner has led to a silver lining amid Blackwood’s ailments and Scott Wedgewood’s recent slump.
Miner made the team this season out of camp, locked away in the cabinet labeled, “Break glass in case of emergency.”
Sure enough, that emergency came on October 23 when Miner had to step in following the Carolina Hurricanes disguised as the Hartford Whalers chased Wedgewood early in the game. Miner was solid, failing to give up a goal the rest of the way.
The seventh-round pick from the 2019 NHL Draft got the start on Sunday against the New Jersey Devils and didn’t look out of place. At least one of the goals in that game was one he would have liked to get back. But overall, Miner was solid.
Miner’s sudden emergence appears to signal the Colorado Avalanche have found another diamond in the seventh-round rough. The club plucked Nikita Prischepov in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Also, Zakhar Bardakov is another seventh-round gem the Avalanche uncovered. While the Avs didn’t draft Bardakov, they had the foresight to trade for him.
Finding such gems in unlikely places is the type of thing contenders like the Colorado Avalanche must do. Since perennial contenders rarely have first-round picks, it’s crucial to uncover gold where others only find coal.
Colorado Avalanche could have a major problem when Blackwood returns
The Colorado Avalanche could have a major problem when MacKenzie Blackwood eventually returns. The Avalanche may need to re-assign Miner to the AHL. But if the Avs go in that direction, it’s almost impossible that he clears.
With so many teams looking for goalie depth out there, Miner would be high on several teams’ radars. That’s why it would be ludicrous to suppose the Avalanche sent Miner to the Eagles at this point.
That possibility is partially the reason why the Avalanche have not moved Blackwood to LTIR. The Avalanche have technically carried three goalies all season. Given Miner’s cap hit, it looks like that will be the case moving forward. The Avs know that sending Miner to the Eagles would mean losing him. So, he’ll stay on the club for the remainder of the season.
The good news is that doing so won’t represent a cap issue. Moreover, the Avs will want to have three goalies anyway. Why? Blackwood, even if fully healthy, will require workload management. That’s why it makes sense to split the starts moving forward among the three netminders.
The Avalanche lose nothing cap-wise, while gaining peace of mind in knowing that there’s a competent third-stringer to spell either Blackwood or Wedgewood.