Tsyplakov Chat On Monday, the Colorado Avalanche sent goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, and a second-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Giavani Smith, and a fifth-round pick. Georgiev may have led the NHL in wins a year ago, but the 28-year-old's underlying stats were pretty bad: an .897 SV% with a 3.02 GAA in 63 appearances. He may have been given a pass this summer, but his 3.38 GAA and .874 SV% in 18 games this season forced the Avalanche's hand into making a move. Many say good goaltending is not necessary for winning, but the Avalanche are a perfect example of a team that did win a Stanley Cup but could have one more, given their talent. New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] netminder Semyon Varlamov played eight years in Colorado before injuries and inconsistencies led to his departure in the summer of 2019. He chose to sign a four-year deal on Long Island, signing a four-year extension in the summer of 2023. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExMjgzNDk4NzE4MjEwMDM2/screenshot-2024-12-09-at-34540pm.png] In four years since Varlamov's departure, the Avalanche have that Stanley Cup victory, but outside of that year, they've failed to make it past the Conference Semi-Finals. It's a team effort, but goaltending has failed them. They had Phillip Grubauer for a few years before Kuemper and then Georgiev. It's interesting to think about what could have been had Varlamov been brought back behind their superstar cast.
