MacFarland: Avs must be 'careful' with Georgiev's heavy workload

Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev is playing a lot of hockey.

At the midway point of the campaign, he's made 37 appearances, three more than Nashville Predators workhorse Juuse Saros, the league's second-busiest netminder. Georgiev is on pace for around 66 starts, which is far beyond Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland's ideal range of 50-to-55 contests.

"I'll be honest, I do think we got to be careful with (Georgiev's) games played here, and it's something that we talk about daily," MacFarland said during a recent appearance on Daily Faceoff's "Frankly Speaking" podcast.

"You want your guy fresh for April if you're able to grab one of those eight tickets (to the playoffs)," he continued. "I know every team is kind of different and maybe there's some guys that can go 60 or 62. For me, my comfort level would be certainly less pace than what he's on target for right now."

Georgiev leads all goaltenders with 24 wins, but he owns a sub-.900 save percentage (.897) and ranks 76th out of 84 goaltenders in goals saved above average at all strengths (minus-7.78), according to Evolving Hockey.

Colorado's other options in net are inexperienced.

The Avalanche picked up Ivan Prosvetov off waivers in October, and he owns a 4-3-1 record across 11 showings this season. Prior to this campaign, the 24-year-old had made just 13 appearances across three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes.

Prospect Justus Annunen made his first appearance of the campaign during Tuesday's 7-4 comeback win over the Ottawa Senators, but the 23-year-old only played in two games in each of the last two seasons with the Avalanche.

Colorado's thinness at the position has MacFarland yearning for Pavel Francouz, who won't play this year because of a lower-body injury.

"The Pavel Francouz late-summer injury was a very, very big injury for us," he said. "We've been very spoiled by having a rock-steady backup, 1B, whatever you want to have it. Whenever Francouz was called upon the last number of years, including the playoffs, he delivered. ... He had that unreal, professional approach, prepared in a very important role, and we really, really miss that."

So, will the Avalanche be among the teams that monitor the goalie market come the trade deadline in March?

"Like anything else, if there's an opportunity for us to improve the hockey team, we look at it," MacFarland said.

Colorado currently sits in second place in the Central Division with a 29-13-3 record, one point behind Winnipeg for the top spot. The Jets have played two fewer games.

Georgiev will represent the Avalanche at next month's All-Star Weekend after being voted into the festivities.

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