The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks made a surprising trade involving their goalies. The Avalanche swapped Mackenzie Blackwood, Givani Smith, and a 2027 fifth-round pick for Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Colorado’s goalie situation has been shaky this season. They started with Georgiev and Justus Annunen but switched to Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood by December. Their save percentage was the lowest in the league at .866, while goals against per game were high at 3.55. Blackwood is expected to help improve these numbers since he had a .909 save percentage with the Sharks despite facing challenges like poor team defense.
Smith adds versatility to Colorado’s lineup as he can move freely between the Avalanche and their AHL team for 30 days after clearing waivers . Fans might wonder if this trade will really turn things around for Colorado or just shuffle problems around.
Trade Details:
Georgiev’s inclusion in the trade was crucial due to salary cap constraints; they didn’t want three goalies on their active roster. His performance has been disappointing this year with an .874 save percentage, making it his worst season yet. Maybe he’ll find better luck in San Jose where there’s less pressure.
For San Jose, Kovalenko is a key acquisition. Though drafted by Colorado in 2018, he only came to North America last year. Recently sidelined due to Colorado’s healthier lineup, he still holds promise as a prospect with impressive stats from his time in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League—32 goals and 89 points over two years.
Will these changes lead both teams toward success? What do you think about these moves?
