New York Rangers 2017-18 report cards: Alexandar Georgiev

Alexandar Georgiev was an under-the-radar signing by the New York Rangers this past offseason. The Russian netminder ended up seeing NHL game action before the season concluded. How well did he perform in his short NHL stint?

On July 18, 2017 the New York Rangers signed goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. He had attended the team’s annual prospect camp and had impressed the brass enough to earn a contract.

Georgiev was undrafted, despite posting robust numbers in Liiga, (the top-tier Finnish hockey league) the preceding season: a 0.923 save percentage and 1.70 goals against average in 27 games as a 21 year old.

Georgiev also made his name known on the international stage by backstopping the Russian national team to a silver medal in the 2016 World Junior Championship (along with new Rangers prospect Yegor Rykov).

The Russian national (also the first Bulgarian-born player in NHL history) was a relatively unremarkable signing who was expected to add depth to the Rangers’ deep goalie prospect pool. Ideally, he would challenge for a starting role for a Hartford team who finished dead last in the AHL in 2016-17, in part due to poor goaltending.

With the Rangers employing one of the best goaltending coaches in the league, Benoit Allaire, there was optimism that Allaire could coax yet another undrafted goaltender to new heights. After his successes with Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta, Alexandar Georgiev could be next in line.

Expectations

Heading into the 2017-18 NHL season, Georgiev was mostly an afterthought. The Rangers had signed established goalie Ondrej Pavelec to a one year deal to backup Henrik Lundqvist. The hope there was that Allaire could revitalize Pavelec’s career.

The Rangers hoped Georgiev would bolster their AHL goaltending, given that their best goalie prospects, Igor Shestyorkin (KHL) and Adam Huska (NCAA) currently ply their trade in other leagues.

The young Georgiev (who only turned 22 on February 10, 2018) needed an adjustment period to North American hockey and life. His first ten games in Hartford, Georgiev posted a 3-4-3 record with a 3.09 goals-against average and a 0.898 save percentage.

Georgiev continued to plug away in the minors until Pavelec sustained an injury on February 9. This resulted in Georgiev’s second call up to the NHL, after not playing in his previous one. Leading up to his recall, Georgiev logged a 7-2-1 record in his previous ten starts along with a 2.13 goals-against average and a 0.929 save percentage.

Making the most of an opportunity

Georgiev waited until February 22 to make his NHL debut in Montreal against the Canadiens. Although it was ultimately a loss, it was by no means his fault. Georgiev turned aside 38 out of 40 shots (0.950 save percentage) a Rangers record for saves in a debut.

However, he wouldn’t have to wait long for his first win, a 36 save gem against the struggling Edmonton Oliers on March 3.

Ondrej Pavelec sat out two to three weeks and the Rangers also decided to rest Lundqvist for much of March. As a result, Georgiev would go on to play 10 games (nine starts) for the team.

By the end of his tenure in New York, Georgiev posted a 4-4-1 record with a 3.15 goals-against average and 0.918 save percentage. When Pavelec returned to health, Georgiev finished his season in Hartford, ending with a 14-13-7 record, with a 0.909 save percentage, a 2.98 goals-against average, and two shutouts.

Although his numbers weren’t spectacular, they were solid given the fact that he was playing behind four AHL defensemen most nights. This resulted in some heavy workloads for the young rookie, as Tom Urtz Jr of Blueshirt Banter details.

More importantly, the Rangers got to see how their pickup fared in NHL game action. Intended or not, the brief stint served as an audition of sorts for Georgiev. His play impressed many, myself included and former Rangers goalie and current MSG analyst Steve Valiquette unabashedly gushed about his play.

Future Potential and Final Grade

As highlighted by Valiquette, Georgiev’s strengths are his puck tracking, technique and efficiency. Each and every game he played, he proved he belonged in the NHL.

Furthermore, it can’t be stressed enough that Georgiev was under siege almost every game. This occurred not only in New York, but in Hartford as well. The Rangers fielded an abysmal defense corps and were the worst possession team in the league.

It is tantalizing to speculate on how Georgiev could perform behind even an average defense.

Right this moment, he is already a solid, bonafide NHL backup and is still only 22 years old. I think it is not far-fetched to believe he could become a legitimate NHL starter in the future. Especially taking into consideration that he will have several years to work with Benoit Allaire to refine his game.

Pavelec is an unrestricted free agent this off-season. Meanwhile, Georgiev is still on his entry-level contract. In my mind, and hopefully the organizations’ the backup job next season should be Georgiev’s to lose.

Next: Rangers late round draft success stories

If he were a skater, Georgiev would probably earn an “incomplete” for only playing 10 games and starting nine. However, in the context of a backup, he played about half of an expected season of 20 games. In fact, he started only 3 fewer games than the original backup, Pavelec.

I will grade him in the context of his performance in the NHL vs. expectations for him going into this season. Quite frankly, he blew them out of the water and into the stratosphere.

Final Grade: A

(Stats courtesy of NHL.com, TheAHL.com, and EliteProspects.com)

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