With the recent performances of Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen, the two goaltenders are forcing the Avalanche front office to not make a goaltending change at the trade deadline.
As the trade clock begins to dwindle ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, the Colorado Avalanche made two trades to put themselves in a better position to make another run at a championship season.
Acquiring centerman Casey Mittlestadt from the Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Sean Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers, the Avalanche have bolstered an already deep defensive core while adding a bonafide second-line center to their forward group that they have been searching for all season long. However, what was most intriguing among these two deals was the deal that wasn't made.
Throughout the season, the Avalanche have relied heavily on starting goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who appeared in his 51st game of the season Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. While the Bulgarian netminder has been a steady rock for them in net, there have been the occasional mishaps and blunders suffered throughout the season that could result from playing in nearly 80% of the games thus far.
With Georgiev carrying a .899 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average heading into the game against the Red Wings, there has been reasonable concern whether 23-year-old goaltender Justus Annunen could not only handle the workload and backup netminder responsibility heading into the postseason but the real potential of starting in a postseason game this early in his career. With only a six-game sample size this season, Annunen is casting any doubt the front office and coaching staff may have, allowing only two goals in his past three starts and posting back-to-back shutouts against the Chicago Blackhawks, stopping 61 straight shots.
Like the rest of his team, Annunen has progressed and looked noticeably better as February moved on. The goaltender allowed four goals in two straight starts to the New Jersey Devils and the Tampa Bay Lightning, stopping 59 of 67 shots in those two games. With his recent performances and the additions from Wednesday's trades, the Avalanche would do well to hold on any trade acquisitions at the goaltending position.
This season's trade deadline for available goaltenders is very slim. Should the Avalanche search for a solution outside the organization, players like Jake Allen (Montreal Canadiens) and Kaapo Kähkönen (San Jose Sharks) are among the top backup netminders currently available.
Allen, 33, was a member of the 2019 St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup team and has seen success in the past. However, outside of his playoff experience, it is doubtful his performance on the ice could provide anything better than Annunen could at this point in his career. Allen has appeared in 21 games with the Canadiens this season with a .892 SV% and a 3.65 GAA. The veteran also has an additional year left on his contract at $3.85 million, which would create a log jam for the backup goaltending position next season.
Kähkönen, 27, is on an expiring contract and could use a change of scenery. The Sharks goaltender has a 6-20-3 record this season, along with a .895 SV% and 3.81 GAA, two of the worst ratings of his career. On a similar note to Allen, it is unlikely Kähkönen could provide anything better than Annunen outside of his current experience in the NHL.
The Avalanche appear content with the moves they made at the deadline, and it is unlikely they will look elsewhere beyond the two goaltenders currently on the roster. The two have provided a steady presence in the net throughout the season and should remain the club's goaltenders on the postseason roster.