The trade

Avalanche received: Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Givani Smith, fifth-round pick in 2027.

Sharks get: Goalkeeper Alexandar Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, second-round pick 2026, fifth-round pick 2025.

Shayna Goldman: Something about an Alexandar Georgiev and Scott Wedgewood crease didn’t sit well. Sure, Wedgewood has shown what a capable backup he can be, and he impressed in Colorado with 5.4 goals saved above expectations through three games. The reality, however, is that the 32-year-old disappointed in Dallas last year and is off to a disappointing start in Nashville this season. His presence probably wouldn’t be enough to stabilize the Avalanche’s goaltending position – not if the team has Stanley Cup aspirations.

Despite Wedgewood starting in Colorado and even Georgiev having one of his best games of the season on Friday night, it seemed like the Avalanche would turn to the goaltending market again this season. It just happened much sooner than expected.

Mackenzie Blackwood is an ideal fit for the Avalanche. His $2.35 million cap hit is more cost-effective than it can be, especially given his caliber of play.

Every trade carries some risk, and there’s a chance Blackwood could fall behind in Colorado. As well as he has played this year, the reality is that he has yet to reach his potential. Blackwood has a ton of raw skill but hasn’t put it together consistently enough to be considered a high-end starter. But he has rebuilt his value in San Jose over the last few seasons. In 19 games this year, Blackwood has held 6.4 goals above expectations and posted a .909 save percentage despite playing behind a team that ranked in the bottom four in both shot suppression and expected goal suppression. And now he’ll have a lot more peer support in Colorado, which should help him maintain that high level of play.

A Blackwood-Wedgewood cross may not be the flashiest, but it’s a solid improvement for a team that has allowed the second-most goals above expectations in the league.

At this point, Georgiev’s continuation was addition by subtraction for the Avalanche. He’s had some promising starts over the last month but has been far too inconsistent. It was untenable for the Avalanche to have to outdo their struggles like they did last week against the Sabers – it burned them in their final stretch against both Carolina and Dallas. Maybe he can rebuild his value in San Jose, but results aren’t that important to the Sharks right now. What matters is that they got a solid return on their investment in Blackwood. If Georgiev struggles the rest of the year, then they can just rely more on Yaroslav Askarov. If he manages to recover, the management may be able to release him on loan at the deadline.

Adding Nikolai Kovalenko and draft capital was a nice deal for the Sharks. San Jose should look for younger NHL talent to play with its emerging core, especially if management plans to move away some veterans at the deadline. Colorado should also want young, inexpensive players to fill out its middle six, especially with a fairly weak youth pool. But Kovalenko’s time on ice tended to decline as the team got healthier, and his move helped address their biggest weakness.

Avalanche degree: B+
Shark class: b

James Mirtle: I’m sure Sharks GM Mike Grier has been watching his young team rise in the standings in recent weeks, with Blackwood leading the way recently (5-6-1 with a .919 save percentage in his last 13 appearances) , and the fact that he felt that had to make a difference.

San Jose has always been a trade deadline seller this season in a teardown that is starting to bear fruit. Grier had to rotate seven UFA veterans, including his two goalies, and Colorado was the contender with the biggest need in the goal box.

It made a lot of sense for a seller to get ahead of this deal, as John Gibson and others are sure to go public more aggressively in the coming months.

As a prospect, Kovalenko is quite the flyer. He is not tall, although he plays with a certain sharpness. At 25, he is no longer young either. And he has only emerged as an offensive option in the KHL in the last two seasons. So far in the NHL, he has shown mediocre bottom-six potential as a crash-and-banger. But in San Jose he can play bigger minutes in the lineup and on the power play, allowing him to acclimate to North America without the pressure of playing on a team that wants to win the Cup. All in all, he’s a good bet to win back for a rental. And a second-round pick is a second-round pick.

As for the Avalanche, they desperately needed to get rid of Georgiev, who had become one of the worst starters in the league. Full credit goes to GM Chris MacFarland for not settling for just signing Wedgewood from Nashville last week, even though the early results of that move have been excellent.

This season, Colorado not only has a tandem with goaltenders ranked 52nd (Georgiev) and 55th (Justus Annunen) in goals saved per 60 above expectations, but only two ranked 15th (Blackwood) and 24th (Wedgewood). .

The biggest question for the Avs will be whether they improve in goal to the level they can compete in the playoffs against opponents with starters like Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger. Wedgewood is 32 and has played a total of 105 minutes in the postseason. Blackwood, meanwhile, was the goalie of the future in New Jersey for years, but faltered as expectations rose there and has yet to see playoff action.

The goaltender is so difficult to predict that it makes sense to make two bets, but neither is remotely certain here, even behind a team as talented as the Avs.

Avalanche suitability:B
Sharks class: B+

(Top photo by Mackenzie Blackwood: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)