The Colorado Avalanche made a startling trade as most Avs fans woke up early on Saturday morning.
The Avalanche traded goaltender Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick to the Nashville Predators for goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Wedgewood will have a $1.5 million cap hit, Annunen’s cap hit was $837,000.
The 32-year-old, Wedgewood, has a .878 save percentage and a 3.69 GAA in four starts this season. Annunen–for comparison–had a .872 save percentage and 3.23 GAA in nine starts this season. Annunen is just 24 years old.
Wedgewood has spent nine seasons in the NHL, primarily as a backup goaltender. Last season, he made 28 starts for the Dallas Stars while registering an .899 save percentage and 2.85 GAA. Wedgewood’s career save percentage is .905.
It has been clear the Avalanche were not ecstatic about their goaltending tandem of Annunen and Alexandar Georgiev. The Avs have been looking for solutions.
During Georgiev’s early struggles, the Avs claimed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers. He made one start for the Avs, giving up four goals on 20 shots against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Annunen had been playing admirably during that period. Then Georgiev started improving and the Avs sent Kahkonen back to waivers.
In Annunen’s last start for the Avs, he gave up five goals on 16 shots to the Lightning before being replaced by Georgiev in the middle of the second period. That was the second time in three games that head coach Jared Bednar had pulled Annunen from the game.
Wedgewood will not solve the Avs’ issues between the pipes but the hope should be that he can provide more stability and consistency backing up Georgiev. The Avs will continue to be in the market for a possible starting goaltender.