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The Colorado Avalanche's fatal flaw in 2024-25 is the same as last season. Alexandar Georgiev miraculously outlasted Connor Hellebuyck in the first round of the 2024 postseason but fell short of the Dallas Stars in the next round. Georgiev's numbers weren't miraculous in the postseason, but he benefited from Hellebuyck being even worse. The victory must have been enough for Joe Sakic to believe in Georgiev, as he didn't upgrade his goaltending position in the offseason.
Sakic would never say it, but he could regret that decision one game into the season. Georgiev allowed five goals on 16 shots in the season opener before Jared Bednar replaced him with Justus Annunen. Annunen didn't fare much better, allowing two goals on four shots, for a total of seven on 20 shots for the two goaltenders. Four goals should be enough for any team to win nightly, but the Avalanche didn't even come close with that output on Wednesday night.
The lack of goaltending additions wasn't necessarily Sakic's fault. Colorado has $7.2 million in cap space, but captain Gabriel Landeskog is on long-term injured reserve. Landeskog makes $7 million annually, so they'll need the space if he returns this season. The Avalanche's front office is in a difficult spot, as they know an upgrade has to be done but they have no cap space to do it. It's a shame to waste such a talented roster, but the only option is to trade one of their better, more expensive, roster players for a goalie upgrade.
Alexandar Georgiev is a problem for Avalanche
Georgiev took the reins of the Avalanche's franchise after four years as the New York Rangers' backup. It was a difficult act to follow for the Russian netminder, as Darcy Kuemper had just won Colorado a Stanley Cup. However, Kuemper took the money with the Washington Capitals and left the Avs looking for a new starter.
It was a bold move for a team with one of the best rosters in the league. Georgiev would either be a value goaltender for three years as they chased another Stanley Cup or be a bust in his starting debut. He looked good in his first season, recording a 2.53 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. Georgiev even performed well in the postseason that year, despite getting upset in the first round by the Seattle Kraken.
Georgiev's second season didn't go as smoothly. He played another 60+ game season but had a 3.02 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. It didn't improve in the playoffs, as he maintained the .897 mark. If Georgiev can return to the form from his first season, it'll be a non-issue for the Avalanche. They have the offensive weapons to outscore average goaltending, but they need him to reach an average level.
Joe Sakic is trying to fix the flaw
The Avalanche are low on replacement options to fix their goaltending. They'll need to sacrifice a roster player to get a bonafide starter, which is why Samuel Girard's name is emerging in trade talks. Sakic saw enough in the season opener to go looking for goaltending, as he claimed Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets.
The Kahkonen move could pay off but doesn't tie the Avalanche to a big contract. Kahkonen had a difficult season with the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24, recording a 3.81 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. However, he joined the New Jersey Devils for six games at season's end and had a 2.51 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. Which version of Kahkonen will the Avalanche get and could he be the easy answer to their fatal flaw?
