San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Mike Grier introduced immediately that the membership has acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, Colorado’s 2026 second-round choice, and a conditional fifth-round draft choice in 2025 in alternate for goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, ahead Givani Smith, and San Jose’s personal 2027 fifth-round choose. As a part of the deal, Colorado will retain 14% of Georgiev’s contract.
*Conditions for Colorado’s 2025 fifth-round choice: Colorado will as a substitute switch the more serious of their present fourth-round alternatives in 2025 (Colorado’s personal or Vancouver’s choice) if a minimum of two of the situations are met:
– Colorado advances to the Third Round of the NHL Playoffs in 2024-25
– Blackwood wins 25 common season video games from the date of the commerce to the tip of the 2024-25 common season
– Blackwood begins 30 NHL Regular Season video games from the date of the commerce to the tip of the 2024-25 common season
Georgiev, 28, has appeared in 18 video games this 12 months for the Avalanche, recording an 8-7-0 file with a 3.38 goals-against common (GAA), and a .874 save share (.874 SV%). He received six consecutive begins from Nov. 9-27, posting a .901 SV% and a 2.57 GAA. Among NHL goalies within the month of November, he ranked tied for fifth in wins.
Over the earlier two seasons, Georgiev led the league in wins (co-led in 2022-23 with 40), amassing a 78-34-11 file with a 2.77 GAA and .908 SV% together with seven shutouts, which was tied for sixth in that span amongst NHL goalies. He turned simply the fourth goalie to steer the NHL in wins in consecutive seasons, and joined Patrick Roy as the one two goaltenders to realize 30 wins in a season a number of instances. Over the course of his NHL profession, he has appeared in 272 video games, recording a 144-89-22 file, 2.89 GAA, .907 SV%, and 15 shutouts. He appeared within the NHL All-Star sport in 2024.
The six-foot-one, 178-pound native of Ruse, Bulgaria was initially signed by the New York Rangers as a free agent on July 19, 2017.
Kovalenko, 25, has recorded eight factors (4 objectives, 4 assists) in 28 NHL video games this season as a rookie. He presently ranks ninth amongst first-year gamers in objectives. He registered his first profession NHL level on Oct. 18 vs. Anaheim, and scored his first NHL purpose on Oct. 27 vs. Ottawa.
Prior to the 2024-25 season, he primarily performed with Nizhny Novgorod within the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), recording 35 factors (11 objectives, 24 assists) in 42 video games earlier than becoming a member of Colorado’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Colorado Eagles. He made his North American debut on April 16 with the group and proceeded to gather three factors in 4 AHL video games. He ultimately was promoted to the NHL membership and appeared in his first NHL sport on Apr. 28, 2024 in Game 4 of Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The five-foot-10, 180-pound native of Raleigh, NC, was initially chosen by Colorado within the 2018 NHL Draft (sixth spherical, 171st total).
