In an ironic twist of fate, San Jose Sharks goaltender Alexandar Georgiev will likely get the start on Thursday night against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche traded Georgiev last week in a swap that brought MacKenzie Blackwood to the Mile High City. Blackwood has been solid with the Avalanche. In two starts, he’s given up four goals and .936 SV%.
Those numbers are highly encouraging for a team desperate to land a reliable starting netminder.
But as fate would have it, Georgiev didn’t have to wait long to face his former team… and get revenge on them.
Allow me to pause for a second. This situation is like breaking up with someone. Even if you’re done with that person, there’s always a part of you that wants to show them what they missed out on.
That’s the scene brewing for Thursday night at the SAP Center. Georgiev will be looking to show the Avs they made a huge mistake in trading him away.
Now, here’s another interesting twist. The Sharks recently placed Vitek Vanacek on IR. Vanacek is listed week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
In other words, Georgiev is now the default starter in San Jose. Top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov will be backing up Georgiev. While there might be a chance the Sharks decide to roll with Askarov over Georgiev, the fact is that starting Georgiev against the Avs makes for a good storyline.
With the Sharks at the bottom of the standings, it seems unlikely that the Sharks upset the Avalanche. But then again, who’s to say the Sharks can’t pull off an upset? Wouldn’t that be something to watch?
Looking back at Georgiev trade between Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers
During the 2022 offseason, the New York Rangers had to make a choice: Igor Shesterkin or Alexandar Georgiev.
The Rangers chose Shesterkin, sending Georgiev to the Colorado Avalanche. For their part, the Avalanche were fresh off a Stanley Cup and needed a goalie to replace free agent Darcy Kuemper. So, the Avs paid a 2022 fifth-round pick and a 2023 third-round selection for the young netminder.
At the time, Georgiev was an RFA and needed a new contract. The Avs weren’t about to splurge on a big-time goalie, so they got Georgiev. The club signed him to a three-year, $10.2 million deal. That seems like eons ago.
Fast forward to 2024, and the numbers show the Avs’ bet on Georgiev didn’t pan out. While he had a solid 2022-23 season, 2023-24 saw his numbers dip. This season, however, his numbers fell off a cliff.
In hindsight, neither side won the trade. The Rangers used the 2022 fifth-rounder on Maxim Barbashyov. Then, they used the 2023 third-round selection on Drew Fortescue. Neither player has appeared in an NHL game thus far.