THE NHL The trade market continues to heat up and the Colorado Avalanche are making a move at goaltending. The Avalanche acquired veteran goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev and other assets.
Blackwood spent the last two seasons with the Sharks and has compiled a 6-9-3 record, 3.00 goals-against average and .910 save percentage so far this season. Meanwhile, Georgiev had been with the Avalanche since 2022, when he replaced Darcy Kuemper, who left to sign with the Washington Capitals in free agency that summer.
Additionally, the New York Rangers shuffled their roster earlier this month by sending defenseman Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks.
Trouba was named the 28th captain in Rangers history ahead of the 2022-23 season, but it didn’t take long for trade speculation to begin. Last offseason, rumors swirled that New York was looking to dump Trouba and his contract, but no deal ever came to fruition.
Now, with the team struggling in recent weeks, general manager Chris Drury opted for a change and sent Trouba to the Ducks in exchange for former first-round pick Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in 2025.
The Avalanche and Rangers aren’t the only teams that have been active on the trade market at the start of the season. The Minnesota Wild also gave up a big haul to acquire former No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jiricek could be another foundational piece of Minnesota’s defense, alongside Brock Faber.
Keep track of the most notable trades throughout the 2024-25 NHL season here.
Avalanche lands Blackwood from Sharks in goalie swap
The Colorado Avalanche have decided it is time to make a change at the goaltending position. The team acquired Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Givani Smith and a 2027 fifth-round pick from the Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Georgiev had been the Avalanche’s starting goalie since the 2022 offseason, when the team acquired his services from the Rangers. In 18 games this season, the veteran has compiled a record of 8-7-0, accompanied by a goals against average of 3.38 and a save percentage of .874.
Meanwhile, Blackwood has accumulated a 6-9-3 record, a 3.00 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 19 games this season. However, Blackwood has been playing much better hockey lately with a 2.66 goals-against average in his last three games.
Rangers deal Trouba to Ducks for prospect and pick
After months of trade rumors surrounding Trouba, the Rangers ultimately traded him to the Anaheim Ducks for Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick. Trouba struggled this season, posting poor numbers at five-on-five in the midst of an ugly losing streak.
The Ducks will have a veteran leader on their blue line, and the Rangers will get rid of Trouba’s $8 million cap hit while getting a young prospect in Vaakanainen and additional draft capital.
Wild acquires David Jiricek from Blue Jackets
David Jiricek, the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, hasn’t really been able to carve out a role for himself in Columbus. When the Blue Jackets put him on the trade market, the Minnesota Wild made a significant offer.
The Wild sent defenseman Daemon Hunt, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Jackets as compensation. That’s a big price to pay for an unproven defenseman, but it could be a profitable gamble, considering Jiricek’s pedigree and performance in the AHL.
Tomasino was a first-round pick by Nashville in 2019, but he struggled to stay in the lineup on a nightly basis. The Penguins opted to take a chance on the young winger, hoping he can reach his potential and help the team stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Predators received a fourth-round pick in exchange for Tomasino, who had 23 goals and 71 points in 159 games with the franchise.
