NHL Trade Rumors: 3 Goaltending Options Named for Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche find themselves on a bit of a run, winners of 7 of their last 10 games and firmly back in the Wild Card chase. But are they satisfied to go forward with goaltenders Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen?

The consensus is a definite NO, as insiders around the league insist that the Avs are scouring the goalie market, and three names have emerged in connection with the team.

Mackenzie Blackwood, San Jose Sharks

According to insider Frank Seravalli on Daily Faceoff Live, Blackwood is playing well enough to be on the Avs' radar, and he's "someone that we’ve heard (former NHL goalie) Carter Hutton talk about... as someone who really needs to see a ton of rubber. He could definitely see that in Colorado."

Blackwood has a 3.07 goals against average this season with the Sharks and a .907 save percentage.

Dan Vladar, Calgary Flames

The veteran is sharing netminding duties with impressive rookie Dustin Wolf this season, helping lead the Flames to a tremendous start at 12-7-3 and second place in the Pacific Division. However, the team does have Devin Cooley tearing it up with the AHL's Wranglers (.940 Sv%), so perhaps Calgary sees an opportunity to use Vladar as trade bait. He is on Seravalli's Trade Board, at #14.

"Why not go get Vladar?" asks Seravalli. "He’s been excellent so far, (and) the Flames would be just as happy to go with Devin Cooley as the backup to Dustin Wolf for the remainder of this year."

Seravalli says all it would take is a second-round pick for the Avs to secure Vladar in a deal. The question is, is the Flames goalie really a notable upgrade on Georgiev and Annunen?

John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks

We have competing insider narratives on this one: Seravalli doesn't think the Avalanche can afford Gibson and his $6.4 million cap hit for another two seasons after this one, "so you could probably cross him off the list," says Seravalli.

But fellow insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period says that Anaheim "is in a position now where they're willing to retain on that contract... It just makes too much sense (for Colorado), doesn't it?"

Gibson has a .915 Sv% with a 2.71 GAA in four games this season.

And Pagnotta's colleague Dennis Bernstein agrees that Gibson would be the man for the Avs over the other two, as they have designs on winning another championship, and Gibson "has proven to be a top goaltender in this league... Gibson would be the most logical one at this moment."