Colorado Avalanche Trade for Veteran Goalie as Team Continues to Struggle
It was announced today that the Colorado Avalanche have acquired goaltender Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Justus Annunen, and a sixth round pick.
The Colorado Avalanche have now attempted to find an answer to the goalie disaster, with Alexandar Georgiev underperforming, and backup Justus Annunen being borderline unplayable.
They have now traded Annunen, along with a sixth round pick, to the Nashville Predators for veteran goalie Scott Wedgewood.
THe Nashville Predators released the following statement after the trade:
Nashville, Tenn. (Nov. 30, 2024) - Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz announced today that the team has acquired goaltender Justus Annunen (YOOS-tuhs AN-uh-nehn) and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Annunen, 24 (3/11/00), is 6-4-0 with a 3.23 goals-against average and .872 save percentage in 11 games (nine starts) for the Avalanche this season. He won four straight starts from Oct. 20-27, including a season-high 26-save performance on Oct. 27 vs. Ottawa; he has made at least 25 saves in four of his 11 appearances. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound netminder is in his fourth partial NHL season, establishing career highs in games played (14), starts (12), wins (8) and shutouts (2) in 2023-24 with Colorado.
Originally selected by Colorado in the third round (64th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Annunenmade his NHL debut with the Avalanche in December 2021 and has gone on to post a 16-9-2 record and 2.81 goals-against average in 29 career games (24 starts). Annunen has spent the majority of the past three seasons with the AHL's Colorado Eagles, where he went 60-29-19, winning 24 games in 2021-22. Prior to joining the Eagles at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, he played parts of four seasons in Finland's Liiga, posting the league's best goals-against average (1.77) and save percentage (.929) in 2019-20, appearing in 23 games. Internationally, the Kempele, Finland, native won gold at the 2018 U-18 World Championship - where he went 6-0-0 - and played in six games on his country's entry at the 2020 World Junior Championship. He hails from the same hometown as Pekka Rinne.
The Predators now own 10 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - three in the first round, two in the second and sixth rounds and one in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
Annunen, 24 (3/11/00), is 6-4-0 with a 3.23 goals-against average and .872 save percentage in 11 games (nine starts) for the Avalanche this season. He won four straight starts from Oct. 20-27, including a season-high 26-save performance on Oct. 27 vs. Ottawa; he has made at least 25 saves in four of his 11 appearances. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound netminder is in his fourth partial NHL season, establishing career highs in games played (14), starts (12), wins (8) and shutouts (2) in 2023-24 with Colorado.
Originally selected by Colorado in the third round (64th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Annunenmade his NHL debut with the Avalanche in December 2021 and has gone on to post a 16-9-2 record and 2.81 goals-against average in 29 career games (24 starts). Annunen has spent the majority of the past three seasons with the AHL's Colorado Eagles, where he went 60-29-19, winning 24 games in 2021-22. Prior to joining the Eagles at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, he played parts of four seasons in Finland's Liiga, posting the league's best goals-against average (1.77) and save percentage (.929) in 2019-20, appearing in 23 games. Internationally, the Kempele, Finland, native won gold at the 2018 U-18 World Championship - where he went 6-0-0 - and played in six games on his country's entry at the 2020 World Junior Championship. He hails from the same hometown as Pekka Rinne.
The Predators now own 10 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - three in the first round, two in the second and sixth rounds and one in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
We will see if this trade is enough to get the Colorado Avalanche back on track.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 30 | 116 ANSWERS Colorado Avalanche Trade for Veteran Goalie as Team Continues to Struggle Do you think the Colorado Avalanche will make the playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 74 | 63.8 % |
| No | 42 | 36.2 % |
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