The Colorado Avalanche have shored up their backup situation, claiming netminder Ivan Prosvetov off waivers from the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the news.
Prosvetov, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the Coyotes in 2018. He made a career-high seven NHL starts in the desert last season, posting a 4-3-0 record but a poor .880 save percentage and 3.98 goals-against average. Still, he was regarded as a potential long-term fit in Arizona after a strong showing behind a subpar AHL Tucson squad last season, posting a .900 save percentage, 3.06 goals-against average, 16-13-4 record, and a shutout in 40 contests.
He’s signed to a two-way contract paying him $775K in the NHL and $225K in the AHL and will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. Many expected Prosvetov to end up on waivers, with the Coyotes’ goaltending tandem of Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram looking solid heading into 2023-24.
With the Avalanche, he could immediately step in as the backup to starter Alexandar Georgiev. Backup Pavel Francouz is on injured reserve to start the season as he continues to recover from offseason adductor surgery, and there’s no clear timeline for his return. The Avalanche’s third-string netminder, 23-year-old Justus Annunen, does not need waivers to head to AHL Colorado, and the Avalanche could very well assign him to the minors within the next two hours.