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The Colorado Avalanche made one trade for a goalie in late November. That one landed them veteran Scott Wedgewood, who was set to serve as a backup to Alex Georgiev. However, Wedgewood will no longer backup Georgiev. The Avalanche traded with the San Jose Sharks for Mackenzie Blackwood, sending Georgiev out to California as part of the deal.
This trade is certainly an interesting one, to say the least. Both San Jose and Colorado wind up with a new starting goaltender as a result of the deal. However, the goalies are not the only players involved in this. With no further ado, let's grade the Avalanche and Sharks for the work they did in the Mackenzie Blackwood trade.
Full trade
The Sharks acquired goalie Alex Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2025 fifth-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick. In return, the Avalanche acquired goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Givani Smith, and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Colorado retained 14% of Georgiev's $3.4 million salary, according to PuckPedia. The draft picks are unconditional.
Sharks trade Mackenzie Blackwood
The Sharks took a chance on Mackenzie Blackwood a couple years ago. He had fallen out of favor with the New Jersey Devils after once being thought of as the next goalie of the future. And he joined the Sharks hoping to turn his fortunes around.
To be fair, he did just that. After posting -15.87 Goals Saved Above Average in his final two seasons with New Jersey, Blackwood found success. The new Avalanche goaltender posted a GSAA of 0.87 in two years with the Sharks, according to Evolving Hockey. Moreover, he saved 17.48 Goals Above Expected with San Jose.
These aren't eye-popping numbers, but they are a significant improvement over where he was. So, what do the Sharks get for their successful reclamation project? A decent haul. They receive another reclamation project in Georgiev as well as an intriguing forward in Kovalenko. Furthermore, they get a second-round pick in next year's promising draft.
Perhaps the most interesting piece in this deal is Kovalenko. The 25-year-old winger was once seen as a potential top-six forward for the Avalanche. However, he did not produce offensively for Colorado in his rookie season. He has just four goals and eight points in 28 games this year. A trade to San Jose could help get him going, though.
29 years after the Avalanche included his father in the Patrick Roy trade, Kovalenko receives a fresh start himself. If things work out, the Sharks could have an effective middle-six forward and a potential solid goalie on their hands. Not to mention a potential trade asset with the second-round pick. This is not the most promising return, but it's certainly something they can work with.
Avalanche acquire Mackenzie Blackwood
The Avalanche needed to solve their goaltending woes. Scott Wedgewood has played well for the Avalanche early in his tenure. However, they needed to figure something out for when Wedgewood needed a breather. To that end, they received a potential starting netminder for the remainder of this season.
Blackwood has significantly improved, as mentioned. And he has done so on one of the worst teams in the NHL through the last few seasons. Meanwhile, Georgiev joined the Avalanche after they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. He had a solid first season with the team, to be fair. But in the last two seasons, he has posted a brutal -23.02 Goals Saved Above Average and -7.11 Goals Saved Above Expected.
The Avalanche are getting the better goaltender in this trade. And the price to get that goaltender isn't all that steep. Kovalenko was not working out for Colorado. While it may be a bit early to give up on him, those are the tough decisions that need to be made when competing for the Stanley Cup.
Outside of Blackwood, Colorado isn't getting much. Givani Smith is a former second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings. However, he is 26 years old with an NHL career high of seven points in any given season. He can play a fourth-line role in a pinch, but overall, he is a depth piece for this team.
The Avalanche are looking to compete for a Stanley Cup in 2024-25. Perhaps the team completely overhauling its goaltending tandem is a desperation move. In any event, it's a fine move for the Avalanche to make, even if neither move is a home run transaction.
Grades and final thoughts
The Avalanche and Sharks receive fine grades for the Mackenzie Blackwood trade. San Jose receives a slightly higher grade, however. The Sharks traded the best player in this deal. However, they take a flier on a potentially effective young player. And the second-round pick they received could become valuable. The Avalanche, meanwhile, upgrade their goaltending without paying too steep a price, even if they didn't add an elite puckstopper.
San Jose Sharks grade: B+
Colorado Avalanche grade: B
