These moves continued in the NHL, with ripple effects quickly affecting the AHL.
The Colorado Avalanche took another step toward improving their goaltending situation on Monday afternoon, acquiring Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Giovanni Smith and 2027 fifth-round draft pick Alexander Georgeye from the San Jose Sharks. Husband, forward Nikolay Kovalenko (2026 second-round pick), and a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick.
The swap is the latest effort by Colorado’s front office to solidify a position that has caused the Avs to struggle all season. They had already acquired Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators on November 30 as backup for Justus Annunen. Early addition Kaapo Kähkönen also did not work out for the Avs after acquiring him on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 11. Appeared once and eventually passed waivers on November 12th.
Just two and a half years removed from winning the Stanley Cup, the Avalanche still have a competitive core.
That’s the image of Colorado’s goalies. For the Colorado Eagles, they will continue to use the combination of Trent Minor and Kevin Mandolis. The Eagles endured a rough weekend of their own, allowing 11 goals in two road losses to the Abbotsford Canucks; three of those goals came on the back of 10 goals scored by the Eagles in those two losses. A powerful attack opportunity.
But what about the Sharks? And the San Jose Barracuda? What about Yaroslav Askarov?
Askarov was a centerpiece of the Sharks’ offseason deal with Nashville and is widely considered the NHL club’s future. But how far away is this future now? The 11th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft spent two solid seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals, but he’s taken huge strides this season. His latest moment came last Saturday night when he stopped the visiting Coachella Valley Firebirds with 36 saves in a 1-0 victory. What’s more worth mentioning is that Georgi Romanov came on in the next game and hit 32 of 33 shots, helping the Barracudas sweep one of the top clubs in the Western Conference and win 2-1.
The Colorado-San Jose trade doesn’t change much for the Sharks from a contract standpoint. Both Blackwood and Georgiev’s contracts expire at the end of this season. The same goes for Vitek Vanecek, the Sharks’ other netminder.
So far, aside from a brief spell in Vanecek’s absence, the Sharks have resisted any temptation to let Askarov play full-time. But as the AHL season progresses, his league-leading .946 save percentage, 1.75 goals-against average (second-highest in the AHL) and 8-3-1 record may test his discipline.
But by keeping Askarov with the Barracuda, the Sharks front office has the opportunity to give him another test. The Barracudas sit firmly in second place in the Pacific Division with a record of 14 wins, 6 draws, 0 losses and 1, including a six-game scoring streak (5 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses and 1). Coming into this season, expectations were raised for the Barracuda roster, which underwent significant improvements during the offseason, and the club has exceeded those hopes so far.
However, the real test now lies before the Barracuda. They won’t surprise any opponents now. Additionally, eight of nine road games will begin this week. If the schedule is extended further, 11 of the 15 away games will be extended until mid-January. Teams like Abbotsford, Coachella Valley and Ontario — all competing with the Barracuda for a spot in the top half of the Pacific Division — feature on the road schedule.
Reconstruction projects are inherently difficult, and success is rarely guaranteed. They can get stuck and go off track. Draft blunder. Development stalled. Coaching decisions didn’t go as expected. Injuries happen. It’s one thing to plan on being patient, a decision that always comes with the initial decision to rebuild. Truly holding on to that patience is another task, especially when losses happen night after night and across seasons.
2024 San Jose Barracuda vs Coachella Valley Firebirds
However, Monday’s trade suggests Sharks general manager Mike Grier and his front office are sticking to the plan. They brought draft picks. They added an NHL-caliber player with Georgiev’s contract expiring and they can evaluate him to see if they can get his game back on track. They now have a 25-year-old forward in Kovalenko who will have an expanded role. The Barracuda have Askarov, who can help lead the club through a tough schedule over the next six weeks.
Of course, the Sharks are still far from their goal, but they are sticking to their plan.
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