Just hours before the 2022 NHL Draft gets underway, the Colorado Avalanche acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers. In the trade, the Avalanche sent a 2022 third round pick, a 2022 fifth round pick and a 2023 third round pick to the Rangers.
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Avalanche didn’t have the necessary cap space to re-sign goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who is slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Now Kuemper will be going to free agency, which begins on July 13.
Georgiev appeared in 33 games for the Rangers during the 2021-22 season and posted a 15-10-3 record to go along with a 2.92 goals-against-average and a .898 save percentage. In 129 games with the Rangers over the past five seasons, the 26-year-old keeper compiled a 58-48-11 record, 2.94 goals-against-average and .908 save percentage.
Meanwhile, Kuemper is fresh off of helping Colorado win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 2001.
Throughout the 2021-22 season, Kuemper, 32, posted a 37-12-4 record in addition to a 2.54 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage. He finished fifth in the league in both wins and save percentage during the regular season.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kuemper had a 10-4-0 record, a 2.57 goals-against-average and a .902 save percentage. He stopped 22 of the 23 shots that he faced against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup-deciding Game 6 of the Final.
