Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
The Colorado Avalanche have claimed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers, adding depth to their goaltending tandem after a shaky start to the season. The question becomes: have the Avs already lost faith in Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen?
The 28-year-old Kahkonen spent time between the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils the previous season and posted a combined record of 7-24-3 with an .898 save percentage and a 3.64 goals-against average. His numbers aren’t exceptional, but he does have experience and those numbers can be misleading because he played for a lowly Sharks team last season. He struggled in San Jose, which was to be expected. However, after being traded to the Devils in March, Kahkonen showed improvement and finished his campaign with a .923 save percentage and a 2.51 GAA in six games.
Meanwhile, Georgiev, who struggled in the opening night loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, is coming off a subpar 2023-2024 season. Georgiev allowed five goals on just 16 shots before being withdrawn after two bouts this week. It prompted head coach Jared Bednar to use Annunen, who did not fare much better.
Bednar expressed disappointment with the team’s goaltending, as did others on the team.
“It’s not good enough,” Bednar said, hinting that the goaltending situation needed to be improved. He wasn’t the only one to express his concerns. Mikko Rantanen, who picked up a hat-trick in the defeat, said after the match. “If they only had 20 shots it might not have been that many, but maybe the quality was too good for them.” Some of that was directed against the team, but there was an underlying hint that the club needed more saves.
Between the coach and the team’s star player publicly calling out goaltending, the writing was on the wall.
Rantanen wasn’t shy about singing Kahkonen’s praises either. When he heard he had been arrested, he talked about the history of the Junior World Cup and said: “I think he is a good goalkeeper.”
Rantanen about fellow countryman Kaapo Kahkonen, his age.
“We skated together in the summer and we won the Junior World Championships together. So yes, it’s good to have him. I think he’s a good goalkeeper.”
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) October 11, 2024
With Kahkonen in the fold, the Avalanche may want to acquire Georgiev now or later in the season.
Teams don’t often run three goalies and if the organization feels like Georgiev’s time is over, a trade could be on the horizon. He’s a UFA playing out a contract that could see him make $3.4 million this season. Should the Avs identify a team with netminding needs, there may be a fit.
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