Alexandar Georgiev: NHL Free Agency Challenges for the Former Avalanche Goalie

Just four days into NHL free agency, Alexandar Georgiev finds himself without a contract, and what was anticipated to be a reset opportunity is quickly becoming more complicated than expected.

After terminating his deal with KHL Spartak and signaling a clear intention to return to North America, Georgiev re-entered the NHL market with hopes of rebuilding his value. Instead, he is watching goaltending jobs vanish without his name being called.

This development marks a notable shift from where his career stood not long ago. During his time with the Colorado Avalanche, Georgiev secured a full-time starter’s role, peaking in the 2023-24 season when he led the NHL with 38 wins. He had also tied for the league lead in wins the season prior, briefly establishing himself as one of the league’s most productive regular-season goaltenders.

Among the highlights of his career was an All-Star selection in 2024, where he participated in the league’s skills showcase. In the one-on-one shooter-versus-goalie challenge, Georgiev stopped nine of 12 attempts from Connor McDavid in a minute-long showdown, earning $100,000 and a rare spotlight moment against the NHL’s best player. McDavid even joked afterward that Georgiev “had my number” in the event, creating a lighthearted but memorable highlight in his career arc.

However, that version of Georgiev didn’t last. His final stretch in Colorado during the 2024-25 season unraveled quickly, finishing with an 8-7-0 record, a 3.38 goals-against average, and a .874 save percentage. After a move to San Jose, the struggles continued, as he went 7-19-4 with a 3.88 GAA and a .875 save percentage over 31 appearances.

This downturn reshaped his market in real time and carried straight into his next stop. After signing with Buffalo on a one-year, $850K deal just before training camp, Georgiev’s situation never stabilized. The Sabres were ultimately so dissatisfied with his place on the depth chart that they claimed Colten Ellis off waivers, pushing Georgiev further down the goaltending hierarchy. This move effectively signaled where things were heading, eventually leading to a mutual termination of his NHL contract so he could pursue an opportunity with Spartak in the KHL.

In Russia, Georgiev found steadier results, posting a 2.37 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage over 24 appearances. While this performance marked a clear step forward from his North American struggles, it was not enough to fully restore his NHL reputation to anything close to starter status.

Now back on the open market, Georgiev is trying to find a landing spot in a goaltending landscape that has already evolved rapidly. With the first wave of free agency behind us, most teams have addressed their starter or backup situations, leaving fewer obvious openings.

And therein lies the concern. Even with a respectable KHL rebound, NHL teams are still weighing the same question: which version of Georgiev are they getting—the 38-win starter from Colorado or the goaltender whose performance declined sharply in both San Jose and his brief Buffalo tenure?

At this point in the summer, uncertainty is more damaging than upside. In a market that’s already thinning out, Georgiev’s path back to the NHL looks less like a return and more like a waiting game that may not go his way. Whether Georgiev finds his way back to the NHL, returns to Russia again, or ultimately decides to step away from the game entirely remains to be seen.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.