Avalanche at risk of falling behind in the division as rivals zero in on elite goalie deal
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett / Puck and Pitch Forks
The Colorado Avalanche could fall behind in the Central Division race as their rival, the Vegas Golden Knights, close in on a deal to acquire New Jersey Devils' goalie Nico Daws.
Vegas is reportedly looking to upgrade their goalie position this offseason.
Avalanche risk falling behind in division as rivals chase massive goalie deal.
Hannah Kirkell from Vegas Hockey Now writes that finding a reliable starting goalie in the NHL isn't easy, as they're rare commodities. While the game continues to evolve, one thing stays constant: the goaltending shuffle never ends. Teams keep buying tickets, endlessly searching for the right netminder to settle their crease.
"Yeah, the Golden Knights have their starter. What they don't have, however, is a clear-cut NHL-calibre backup. You could argue that they have no other roster vacancies- the only remaining question concerns who will back up Hill." -Kirkell
The Golden Knights might strike a deal with the Devils to address that gap.
"The Devils are the exact opposite of the Golden Knights- they have too much talent at the backup position. And with Jake Allen signed to a long-term contract, there's an obvious odd-man out: 24-year-old Nico Daws. On Friday, colleague James Nichols at New Jersey Hockey Now listed three potential trade destinations for Daws, including the Golden Knights." -Kirkell
The Golden Knights aren't short on goaltending prospects, with Carl Lindbom, Pavel Moisevich, and Cameron Whitehead in the pipeline, their future in net looks solid. What they're missing is a reliable backup for right now.
"With just 52 NHL games under his belt, a record of 22-23-1 and an average save percentage of .898, Nico Daws wouldn't be an automatic lock to win the job. Akira Schmid's numbers aren't far off with 48 games, a record of 16-18-4 and a .903 average save percentage. The Golden Knights could give Schmid some much-needed competition by trading for Daws." -Kirkell
Just a few days ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins helped set that goaltending market by acquiring 24-year-old Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a low-tier prospect. It's reasonable to think Nico Daws could be available for a similar return.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 24 | 24 ANSWERS Avalanche at risk of falling behind in the division as rivals zero in on elite goalie deal Will the Golden Knights finish ahead of the Avalanche next season? | ||
| yes | 8 | 33.3 % |
| no | 16 | 66.7 % |
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