Central Division rivals Colorado and Nashville made a trade involving backup goalies on Saturday. The Predators acquired Justus Annunen and a draft pick from the Avalanche in exchange for Scott Wedgewood. Nashville, with a disappointing season so far, sees potential in Annunen and hopes their goaltending department can develop his skills. Annunen, at 24, is much younger than Wedgewood and could be a long-term solution for the Predators.
For the Avalanche, the trade is more about the present. They hope Wedgewood, a veteran at 32, can provide stability and support for starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev as they aim to improve their defense. Wedgewood, who signed with Nashville in the offseason, had a rough start to the season with a .878 save percentage in four games.
The Predators also recently traded Philip Tomasino to the Penguins and are open to further moves to bring in younger players. This trade reflects the differing priorities and situations of the two teams, with Nashville looking towards the future and Colorado focusing on immediate improvements.
Overall, the trade highlights the strategic decisions being made by both organizations as they navigate their respective seasons. It will be interesting to see how Annunen and Wedgewood perform in their new roles and how the trade impacts each team moving forward.
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