NHL Rumor Mill – October 19, 2024
In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, some suggested goalie trade targets for the Avalanche plus the latest on Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Aarif Dean cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating over possible goaltending trade targets for the struggling Avalanche.
Friedman believes the Avalanche have to be looking at other options after seeing starter Alexandar Georgiev struggle between the pipes. It doesn’t mean they will go this route but Friedman thinks they have to be considering it.

San Jose Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (NHL Images).
Mackenzie Blackwood of the San Jose Sharks could be one option. The other could be John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. Friedman thinks Gibson could help the Avs if he can stay healthy.
Blackwood carries a $2.35 million salary cap hit this season and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Gibson is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million, but Friedman believes his contract could be worked out if the Avs believe he’s good enough to help them.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols also cited Friedman suggesting Blackwood as a trade target for the Avalanche. He pointed out Friedman saying Blackwood was on the Avs’ radar before.
Nichols noted that the Sharks are rebuilding so it would make sense for them to trade Blackwood while his value is high. He also pointed out their offseason acquisition of promising Yaroslav Askarov plus they also carry Vitek Vanecek.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Chris Johnston recently observed the Avalanche’s salary-cap limitations would hamper any efforts to improve their goaltending through a trade.
Blackwood is the more affordable option if he’s available. Some suggest the Avs attempt to send Georgiev to San Jose in the deal but the Sharks will want a sweetener like a quality draft pick or prospect. He also has an injury history.
Gibson’s hefty contract would make this a more complicated deal. He could have more upside performance-wise but it’s been a while since he backstopped a quality roster. Gibson could become an expensive gamble that fails to pay off if his skills have eroded.
THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe believes the Pittsburgh Penguins must move on from Tristan Jarry as their starting goaltender. He doesn’t see the 29-year-old Jarry improving anytime soon. Yohe noted that backup Alex Nedeljkovic and promising Joel Blomqvist have outplayed Jarry, suggesting he’s a perfect candidate to get a fresh start elsewhere.
Yohe acknowledged Jarry’s contract is likely unmoveable. However, he believes management should send him to their AHL affiliate in Wilke-Barre/Scranton. They’ll get $1.15 million in cap relief doing so, giving them some flexibility while letting Nedeljkovic and Blomqvist handle the goalie duties. Yohe also suggested buying out Jarry at the end of this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry is signed through 2027-28 with an AAV of $5.35 million and a 12-team no-trade list.
Some suggest the Penguins offer up Jarry to the Avalanche straight up for Georgiev. The Avs likely won’t go for that even if the Pens retained half of his cap hit because of the three years remaining on his contract.
A buyout in June seems the most likely outcome.
Jarry’s body language and approach while in the net screams “I want outta here”
Bury him in Wilkes Barre until his attitude changes or someone ELSE is desperate enough to give him another go.
Colorado’s goaltending issues are really a product of their own making.
When they dealt for the rights to Georgiev by giving up a 3rd round and 5th round pick in 2022 and a 3rd in 2023, he had been with the Rangers since 2017-18 and the most games he’d played in any of his years there was 34 with a 3.04gaa and 0.910 save %. In his final season in NY he played in 33 games with a 2.92gaa and 0.898 save %. Barely decent for a back-up.
Right off the bat Colorado decided he was going to be a # 1, and in his first season – with a pretty good team in front of him – he played in 62 games with a 2.51gaa and 0.919 save %.
Unfortunately, as the team in front of him regressed along the D and in their overall defensive game, so too did his ability to handle the major part of the load – 63gp last season, 3.02gaa and 0.897 save %. So far this young season it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better – 4.99gaa and 0.811 save %.
I doubt they are going to find anyone ready and willing to part with either a top goalie or a top goalie prospect unless the offer is overwhelming, reducing them to shopping around for reclamation projects and hoping for the best.
The pendulum is swinging back from a “mediocre goalie” can win it for us to the “we need a #1, not 1a” goalie. We definitely saw that with Devs last year and a few others (Sens come to mind). I believe a big part of this, as George O. pointed out, as the team rises to the cap ceiling, some cuts have to come somewhere leaving the goalie more exposed. The Avs appear to be in deep trouble, small sample size aside.
Maybe they try to trade someone when Nichushkin comes back for a decent goalie.
Nichushkin has an NMC, so I doubt it can be him. Girard seems like the one to go because he is tradable and has the almost perfect cap hit.
That is why teams are deciding to pay no.1 goalies and locking them up for long terms!There is nothing worse than when a team struggles to get a lead and then their goalie let s up a soft one!Deflating!
George and all,
Here is an option for the Avs, but I doubt it ould be considered thin division:
To Colo: Jordan Binnington (2 million retained)
To Blues: Georgiev and 2nd round pick sweetener
Hofer is ready to assume #1, Blues still retooling would get pick and lose
extra yrs. of Binnington contract.
IP
That’s the kind of thing Colorado MIGHT go for Iowa Prince, although the 3 seasons left on Binnington’s contract – by which time he’ll be 34 – could give them pause.
But, if they’ve lost all confidence in Georgiev as a # 1 they have to do something.
Georgiev was always a questionable prospect. A couple of years when Toronto was searching for a No. 1 they twice pasted on Georgiev as a solution. The reasons were, he was never a starter, stats weren`t good and rumours of erratic behavior. Considering how badly Toronto needed a goalie, they ended up going after Jack Campbell. But there were always question marks surrounding Georgiev, so it`s not like Colorado traded for a bonified No. 1 and he fell on his face. Maybe Bussi is an option for them. The asking price won`t be high and they can afford his contract
Can’t see Boston doing anything to help Colorado improve unless Colorado made it worth their while.
Too true.
You have to assume the Colorado brain-trust, in giving Georgiev a $975,000 raise over 3 seasons after acquiring him, did so on the basis of careful analysis, and in the end concluded that he was good enough to more than handle the bulk of the goaltending duties considering the quality of the roster in front of him.
Clearly, they were wrong, and now – barring a complete and unexpected turnaround by Georgiev or a massive tightening up of their overall defensive structure in front of him – face the prospect of either giving up significant assets to bring in a top goalie this season, putting him back into an expensive back-up role (they sure aren’t going to find a taker for his $3.4 mil per deal), or riding him out to the end when he becomes a UFA.
Although completely different scenarios, and since in Shesterkyn’s case there’s no indication that that will be the case as he’s been handling the bulk of their goaltending load very very well since 2021-22, you have to think somewhere in the minds of the NYR brain trust there lurks this nagging concern as to what happens if they do give him that $12 mil + deal he’s allegedly seeking, and HIS game goes south.
P.S. No jarry please! Watched him for awhile now. He’s very leaky. So might be swapping one problem for another? Blackwood, remember him from NJ. But that’s about it. GO AVS!!!
As I posted the other day, any team considering Jarry will be looking at his entire body of work – which isn’t bad. The killer to any deal there, however, is that $5.36 mil per deal that doesn’t end until 2028. Still, he is just 29 y/o and could be a monumental improvement over Georgiev.
Was never a fan of Gorgiev, whose biggest contribution in NY was getting DeAngelo out of there. Ironically, Rangers used one of those pics on a LD currently playing at Boston College. Between him, Jones and Mancini, might be able to let Lindgren walk next year. That plus a Trouba trade/buyout will add plenty of cap space to pay Shesty and Laf.
Copy and paste late yesterday. I might add today they certInly need to do something. Good trade proposal IP one that is plausible . Binnington is going to be one of team Canada goalies. ……From what I have seen of Colorado
(2 games) Georgiev is not the problem but team defence is definitely the issue. Giveaways breakaways and gaffs
all over the ice.
They are currently missing Lehkonen Drouin Nichushkin Toews . That is significant . Pretty tough to win on a regular basis without those players in the line up.
SilverSeven has it right! Because I know most folks on here don’t even watch the Avalanche games, even when they were competing for a SC? The truth is that georgiev has been awful but the problem is compounded by the way the team plays out in front of him: too soft, mentally challenged, not disciplined, etc. It has been this way for some time but is really coming to the surface now because georgiev has been bad? The defensive play is why the Avalanche can’t beat Dallas and Vegas or Seattle for that matter. It’s pretty obvious if you watch enough of their games!!!
Those are significant absences from the line-up – but they’re not alone in suffering key roster injuries early.
What has to be asked is, are ALL these players sporting early glaring minus stats due to Georgiev’s poor play, or is at least part of it due their gaffes? Ritchie -7, Makar and Manson -6; MacKinnon and Mittelstad t -5; Wood and deHaan -4; and each of Kovalenko, O’Connor, Kelly, Girard, Colton and Rantanen -3)
That’s a good point George O. Those guys missing are all guys who play a 200ft game. So yeah significant. At the same time, the rest of the guys are asleep at the wheel. Always want to go offensively but they forget what coach bednar always preaching: good defense turns into offensive opportunities. They aren’t getting it done for whatever reason. The other teams aren’t stupid. They know if you out
work the Avalanche, chances are you are going to get reward. No secret . Avalanche have to go to work defensively and protect their goaltender. Then maybe georgiev will gain some confidence. I don’t know?
You know, I’m not disputing your point re key absences … that can upset team cohesion in many ways, and if the team is playing “tight” due to the shortages, nothing can deflate a hard-working effort faster than a soft goal.
Today, for example, Ottawa is hanging on by the skin of their teeth 5-4 over Tampa and, so far in the game, has showed some “sag” every time Forsberg gave up another goal after Ottawa had gone 2 up.
Certainly, injured players like Zub, Ullmark and Greig might have made a difference in that regard .. but in the end it’s up to their replacements to show they are worthy of an NHL job.
George O. I agree with you Jarrys overall body of work is decent.
Two time all star lead the league in shutouts a couple tears ago on a team with suspect defense.
Its a confidence thing and maybe a change of scenery thing..maybe a new goaltending coach gets in his ear
What does gieorgiev make?
Can the penguin’s bury him?