Some possible trade destinations for Alexandar Georgiev

The New York Rangers have a glut of goaltenders and if the upcoming clash with the Carolina Hurricanes is an indication, Alexandar Georgiev will be the odd man out.

Alexandar Georgiev went from an undrafted unknown to a key contributor in the Blueshirts goal over the last two seasons. Despite the promise he has displayed, the Rangers already possess a clear number one goaltender of the future in Igor Shesterkin. And with Henrik Lundqvist declaring to Sweden’s Sport Bladet that he intends on finishing his contract with New York, moving Georgiev seems to be the most feasible option.

Lundqvist, coming off the most demoralizing year of his career posting a 3.16 GAA and a .905 save percentage, should slot into the backup role next season. Sure his play has not been up to par, nobody knows that more than the man himself, but due to his no-movement clause and the simple fact that moving Georgiev could yield a larger return, Georgiev will likely be moved at the draft.

Georgiev, who posted numbers just slightly better than Lundqvist’s, with a 3.04 GAA and .910 save percentage, will garner interest on the trade market as a restricted free agent. At just 24-years-old, the Bulgarian netminder’s rights will be a hot commodity, as were Adam Fox’s just a year ago.

So what exactly would a Georgiev trade look like for the Rangers? To answer this, we must look at goalie trades of the past that have shaped the market for potential suitors. Just this past trade deadline we saw Robin Lehner, Louis Domingue, Michael Hutchinson, and Jack Campbell get shipped to teams in need of goaltending depth.

Obviously, the biggest haul was received by the Blackhawks who were able to move Lehner to Vegas along with forward Martins Dzierkals in exchange for Malcolm Subban, prospect Stanislav Demin, and a second-round pick. Arguably the closest comparison to a Georgiev trade was that of  the Kings’ Jack Campbell, who along with Kyle Clifford was sent to Toronto, while Los Angeles received Trevor Moore and two third-round selections in return.

Campbell, who has a 2.80 GAA and a .904 save percentage, went 3-2-1 with Toronto in his brief time there before the COVID-19 pandemic paused the season. Georgiev, like Campbell, has never been an NHL starter, diminishing the package the Blueshirts will receive just a bit.

A history of trading goalies

New York has experience with trading back-up netminders who appear to be blossoming into starters. In 2015, the Rangers traded Cam Talbot to Edmonton in exchange for three draft picks, and in 2017 they dealt Antti Raanta along with Derek Stepan to the Coyotes in exchange for Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall selection in the draft.

The Rangers would be wise to aim for a better return than the Talbot and Campbell trades, but will likely have to settle for less than the return from their trade of Raanta and what  Vegas gave up for Lehner. There is a fairly large number of teams looking for a goaltender, most of whom possess prospects and picks that could appease the Blueshirts.

Potential destinations

Ottawa, Detroit, San Jose, Buffalo, and Chicago could all use goaltending help. I could see a prospect and a third-round pick being exchanged for Georgiev just as I could see the Rangers settle for numerous draft picks for their netminder yet again.

The Senators seem to be the most intriguing team with 39-year old Craig Anderson an unrestricted free agent.  They have a lot to trade as they possess four second-round picks and two third-round selections. While they do want to build through the draft, getting an NHL caliber goaltender with starter potential is a big get for any team looking to re-solidify their footing in the NHL.

Detroit is another team to keep an eye on, as they will be losing Jimmy Howard to free agency. This leaves a vacancy in their goaltending tandem, and what better person then Alexandar Georgiev to fill that void. With five total picks in rounds two and three, the Red Wings have the arsenal to make a trade if needed.

Finally, San Jose could make a move to acquire the young goaltender from New York. Martin Jones posted an abysmal 3.00 GAA and .896 save percentage, while backup Aaron Dell posted a 3.01 GAA and a .907 save percentage. The Sharks had the second worst save percentage in the NHL (after Detroit) as injuries and lack of depth exposed the two netminders, and they may be interested in bolstering that position come the draft.

There truly is no right way to handle this situation for the Rangers. Either way, you are keeping one good goalie and giving up another. But with Georgiev having the better trade value and Tyler Wall and Adam Huska coming up through the Rangers system, it makes more sense to move number 40 then it does to keep him.