December 9, 2024 | 3:08pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

AVS ACQUIRE BLACKWOOD FROM SHARKS

Mackenzie Blackwood, goaltender

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the team has acquired goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Givani Smith and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick in the 2027 NHL Draft from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2025 conditional fifth-round draft pick and a 2026 second-round pick.

The Avs are also retaining 14 percent of Georgiev’s contract.

Blackwood, 28, has played in 19 games for the San Jose Sharks this season (17 starts) and has registered a 6-9-3 record, a .910 save percentage, a 3.00 goals-against-average and one shutout.

A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Blackwood has compiled an 81-91-25 career record with a .905 save percentage, a 3.07 GAA and 11 shutouts over 215 games with the Sharks and New Jersey Devils from 2018-25.

Blackwood was originally drafted by New Jersey in the second round (42nd overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Smith, 26, has appeared in six games for the Sharks in 2024-25, his second season with the club. He also skated in 26 contests with San Jose last season and registered one goal and three assists.

The native of Toronto was selected by the Red Wings in the second round (46th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.

Georgiev, 28, has appeared in 18 games this year for the Avalanche, recording an 8-7-0 record with a 3.38 GAA, and a .874 save percentage.

Over the course of his NHL career, he has appeared in 272 games, recording a 144-89-22 record, 2.89 GAA, .907 save percentage, and 15 shutouts. He appeared in the NHL All-Star Game in 2024.

The native of Ruse, Bulgaria was originally signed by the New York Rangers as a free agent on July 19, 2017.

Kovalenko, 25, has recorded eight points (four goals, four assists) in 28 NHL games this season as a rookie.

Prior to the 2024-25 season, he primarily played with Nizhny Novgorod in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), recording 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 42 games before joining Colorado’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Colorado Eagles.

Born in Raleigh, NC, Kovalenko was originally selected by Colorado in the 2018 NHL Draft (sixth round, 171st overall).