The Colorado Avalanche have acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers for a package of draft picks, the teams announced Thursday.
New York will receive Colorado's third-round and fifth-round selections in the 2022 NHL Draft, as well as a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. By making the deal, the Avalanche now hold just two picks in this year's draft, a sixth- and seventh-round choice.
The Rangers, who started the day with only four picks in the NHL Draft, now hold six selections — giving them the capacity to either further bolster their youth movement, or convert the draft capital into players who can make a more immediate impact.
Georgiev, who arrived in New York as an undrafted free agent in 2017, showed flashes of meaningful promise during his time with the Rangers. The 26-year-old posted a 15-10-2 record this past season, including an 8-1-0 run with two shutouts in his last nine starts of the campaign.
Internationally, Georgiev, a native of Bulgaria who moved to Russia shortly after he was born, has competed for both nations. He notably represented Russia at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, posting a 2-0-0 record, both shutouts, to help his country to a bronze medal.
For Colorado, his acquisition raises further questions about the future of incumbent starter Darcy Kuemper, whose name has been linked to several other teams this off-season.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Kuemper is expected to hit the open market.
