Avs trade Justus Annunen and a pick for Scott Wedgewood
Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images
Juice and a 6th rounder (2025) for Scott Wedgewood as the shoe drops in the goalie room. It felt like it was just a matter of time until we saw the Avalanche move to add more confidence in the goalie department, and the news broke this morning that they had at least made an effort to do so. Justus Annunen and a 6th-round pick in 2025 is what it took to return the services of 32-year-old Scott Wedgewood, who is starting his 8th season as a pro and has never amassed more starts than he did last season (28) with the Dallas Stars. He secured 16 victories during his 2023-24 campaign with Dallas and appeared a perfectly serviceable backup.
The @Avs just traded Justus Annunen and a 2025 draft pick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Scott Wedgewood. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/9H7WqAZuXa— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) November 30, 2024
Alexandar Georgiev struggled early this season but seems to be finding his game again, looking much better in his most recent starts. Annunen, on the other hand, helped weather the storm of Georgie’s struggles early before losing his way also. The Avalanche were desperate for a shake up, and that’s precisely what we have here.
The natural reaction and question to this acquisition is, “Does this even help?” It remains to be seen, but career numbers like .301 GAA and .905 SV scream backup netminder. If you were hoping for someone who might challenge Georgiev for the top spot, keep hoping.
Here’s a detailed look at Scott Wedgewood’s numbers. Do with them what you will:
We can learn something about Scott if you look at some advanced analytics from last season (since he’s only gotten five appearances this season with the Predators). The Avalanche haven’t been stellar in front of their keepers this season, so I was curious about Wedgewood’s ability to bail his team out.
High Danger Unblocked Shot Attempt Save % is an excellent place to start, and saving two-thirds of unblocked and high-danger shots is a significant marker. The Avs have been two saves away from a victory on numerous occasions this season. It’s not a one-to-one translation with a new club and system, but Wedgewood does appear to have what it takes to bail his teammates out when they lose coverage. That I like.
Overall, it feels like the Avalanche had to do something to give more confidence between the pipes on a night-in and night-out basis. This move hopes to satisfy that and sends a struggling and unproven netminder with a late-round pick for a veteran with plenty of ability.
What is your take on the trade? Let us know in the comments!
Good luck Juice. #GoAvsGo https://t.co/UAGajXuCma— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) November 30, 2024
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