How the New York Rangers should resolve the three-headed goalie monster

Alexandar Georgiev’s role moving forward becomes clear.

As in, Alexandar Georgiev role moving forward for the New York Rangers is trade chip.

Right now, Georgiev possesses a career .914 save percentage in 71 games. That’s nice, no question. But we’re in a seller’s market that saw the Los Angeles Kings trade goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Trevor Moore, a 2020 third-round pick, and a conditional 2021 third-round pick that can become a second-round pick.

For context, Campbell’s career save percentage is .918—better than Georgiev’s.

And let’s not forget backup goaltenders of New York Rangers’ past. Cam Talbot‘s save percentage in New York was .933 in 57 games, while Anti Raanta‘s was .921 in 55 games. Both had numbers indicative of starting goaltenders, while Georgiev doesn’t. Georgiev is young, yes, but there’s no guarantee he becomes a team’s top goaltender.

What the Rangers have in Georgiev is a nice backup. With this in mind, does Shesterkin—in a ridiculously small sample size—look like the type of NHL goaltender that you’re going to have a 1A/1B situation with? Highly doubtful. You need someone to back him up 20 games next season.

So if there’s a team at the deadline or at the 2020 NHL Draft that wants to take a chance on Georgiev blossoming into a starting goalie or shore up their backup goaltending, the Rangers need to take that deal.

In a rebuild/build, the assets they get back are vital to the future. Remember, Adam Fox was acquired for two second-round draft picks. Jacob Trouba, who’s being deployed as a top defender, cost the Rangers a late first-round draft pick and Neal Pionk. (In other words, not a lot. Admittedly, Pionk is having a fine season on an offensively loaded Winnipeg Jets.)

Let’s not forget the Rangers have Adam Huska, Tyler Wall, and Olof Lindbom. Of the three, only Wall is currently having a strong season. But none have worked extensively yet with Benoit Allaire, the Rangers goalie coach guru who turned an undrafted free agent (Talbot) and a discarded backup goalie (Raanta) into starting goaltenders in the league.

Georgiev is expendable. A Georgiev trade would be similar to the recent Joey Keane-for-Julien Gauthier trade.

"It is a straight player-for-player swap between two teams who were looking to improve certain areas of their depth chart. –Andrew Steele-Davis"

So if Lundqvist doesn’t agree to a trade, the Rangers must move Georgiev. If Lundqvist moves on from the only franchise he’s ever known, the Rangers still should trade Georgiev. You don’t hold onto backups that can fetch you a good return unless you’re currently chasing a Cup.

Ultimately, the dream scenario is for the three-headed goalie monster to lose two heads.