The Colorado Avalanche has made another goalie trade today after sending Justus Annunen to the Nashville Predators for Scott Wedgewood just nine days ago. The Avalanche acquired goalie Mackenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks, along with forward Givani Smith and a fifth-round pick in 2027, while the Sharks received goalie Alexander Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a fifth-round pick in 2025, and a second-round pick in 2026.
Colorado received a B.
It took a while to make this trade. Despite having the league’s lowest average goalie save % yesterday, Colorado’s 16–13-0 record lifts them above.500 for the season. This is a good Colorado Avalanche team, to put it simply. This team is capable of competing for the Stanley Cup. But a goalie deal had to take place in order to do it. As expected, Colorado made a trade for Mackenzie Blackwood, who has posted solid statistics despite playing for a defensively struggling San Jose Sharks team. In 19 games, Blackwood has a .911 save percentage, a 3.00 goals-against average, and even recorded a shutout against the high-scoring New Jersey Devils. Additionally, Colorado added depth forward Givani Smith, who has accumulated 22 points in 161 NHL games. On the flip side, Colorado traded away a fifth-round and a second-round pick to San Jose, but the bigger loss is Nikolai Kovalenko. At 25, Kovalenko had been contributing valuable depth scoring for the Avalanche, with eight points in 28 career NHL games. However, his departure was a necessary sacrifice. Colorado’s need for goaltending was urgent, and if Kovalenko had to be the cost, then it was a trade-off they were willing to make.
San Jose’s Rating: B+
I don’t believe either team lost this trade, but I do think San Jose came out ahead. Georgiev isn’t an outstanding goalie, and he has a $3.4 million salary, but that contract ends after this season. The Sharks are still in the midst of a rebuild and aren’t aiming for the playoffs this year, so goaltending isn’t a major issue for them at the moment. The Sharks also acquired a promising young player in Kovalenko, along with two picks. General Manager Mike Grier has been doing an excellent job leading the team in San Jose. Sharks fans, your time is approaching. This team is going to be a serious contender soon.
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