The Colorado Avalanche finally climbed back on top of the NHL mountain, winning the 2021-2022 Stanley Cup. They did so in highly impressive fashion, going 16-4 in the playoffs and beating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the Finals. Colorado has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough for a couple of years, but had been unable to put it all together. They finally did that this season, with one of the biggest differences being in goal. Darcy Kuemper had a fantastic year for Colorado. He went 37-12-4 with a 2.56 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. However, he is an unrestricted free agent and it appears the Avs will be unable to retain his services. That prompted the Avalanche Rangers trade for goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

The Avalanche sent a 2022 3rd round and 5th round pick, along with a 2023 3rd round pick to the Rangers in exchange for the 26-year-old net minder. It was a move that seemed to come out of nowhere, yet makes a lot of sense for both teams.

So, let's grade the Avalanche Rangers trade for Alexandar Georgiev.

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Grading the Avalanche Rangers trade for Alexandar Georgiev

NEW YORK RANGERS

This move made a ton of sense for the Rangers. They already have Igor Shesterkin as their starter. Shesterkin might be the best goalie in the world today, even though Lightning fans would argue Andrei Vasilevskiy. Nevertheless, Shesterkin won the 2021-2022 Vezina Trophy awarded to the league's top goalie.

He finished 36-13-4 with a sparkling 2.07 goals against average and a .935 save percentage. Those are Hall of Fame type numbers. Shesterkin also helped carry the team in the playoffs, finishing just two wins shy of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

He signed a four-year, $22.7 million contract in August of 2021. So, it's clear the Rangers have their net minder for the foreseeable future. Of course, it's always good to have a solid backup in hockey.

But that's why the Avalanche Rangers trade makes sense for them. New York has Keith Kinkaid on the depth chart. Kinkaid has not played meaningful minutes since his time in New Jersey a few years ago. However, while playing for the Devils and their terrible defense, he posted decent numbers. His career stats are eerily similar to those of Georgiev. New York will still need to add another goalie for depth, but this made a ton of sense.

Landing two 3rd round picks and a 5th round pick for someone who is not needed is always a win.

Grade: A-

COLORADO AVALANCHE

The Avalanche are clearly signaling that they will not be able to bring back Darcy Kuemper. That obviously means they are going to need a new net minder. But the jury is out as to whether or not Georgiev will be the long-term answer. Georgiev has been the back up in New York, where he posted rather pedestrian numbers.

He finished 15-10-2 this year with a 2.92 goals against and an .898 save percentage. Keep in mind that the Rangers also might have had the best defense in the NHL this year. Georgiev's career numbers are almost identical to what he posted this season.

The Avalanche have Pavel Francouz on the roster. He posted better numbers in front of a worse defense during the regular season. He also played very well during the postseason run when Kuemper was injured. So, there is a good chance he ends up winning the starting goalie spot.

If that were to happen, this trade would be very poor. At best, the Avs have a body in net.

Grade: B-