The Colorado Avalanche must pursue New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin, along with Andrei Vasilevsky, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Connor Hellebuyuck, is one of the NHL’s top goaltenders. He’s won the Vezina Trophy, has gotten Hart Trophy votes, and has led the Rangers to a Presidents’ Trophy.
But there’s one thing the Colorado Avalanche have that Igor Shesterkin does not: A Stanley Cup.
Let’s unpack this situation in light of recent events surrounding the impending free agent netminder.
The rationale behind the Colorado Avalanche’s pursuit of Igor Shesterkin
The Colorado Avalanche need a reliable, number-one netminder
Wednesday night’s blowout against the Vegas Golden Knights raised concerns about the Avs’ goaltending situation. Alexandar Georgiev looked shaky, while Justus Annunen was dreadful.
As such, it is worth asking: Do the Colorado Avalanche need to get a number-one netminder?
Justus Annunen figures to be the heir apparent to the crease in Colorado. But until he can run with the job, there’s no assurance that will be the case.
Moreover, Georgiev has looked off his game. Since last year, Georgiev seemed out of sorts at times. But this season, it appears that something has caught up to him. Perhaps he’s dealing with an injury no one knows about. No one can know for sure outside of the Avalanche’s training room.
It’s worth pointing out that one game into the season, it’s already too late to pursue another top-line goaltender. The Avs will have to manage with what they’ve got until at least the trade deadline, when, potentially, goalies may become available.
Perhaps then, if the Rangers haven’t signed Shesterkin, the Avs and Rangers could talk about a deal. Otherwise, the Avs will need to wait until the summer to figure out a potential deal.
Now, I will caution this: trading for Shesterkin could be quite onerous. The Rangers won’t part ways with Shesterkin so easily. Since the Rangers don’t have a goalie who can take over full-time, they’ll need to get something substantial. So, Annunen plus draft picks and roster players could move the needle.
But that’s a deal not really worth exploring. It’s better to wait until Shesterkin hits the free-agent market.