The Avalanche announced Thursday that they’ve activated goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from injured reserve. Forward T.J. Tynan is returning to AHL Colorado to open a spot on the active roster.
Georgiev, 28, last played on Nov. 13. He missed the previous two games with an upper-body injury. However, he will be available tonight against the Capitals, as Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette said was possible yesterday.
The Bulgarian netminder’s already-subpar regular season numbers from 2023-24 have only tanked further so far this season. Among goalies with at least 10 appearances, Georgiev’s .863 SV% ranks last in the league, and his -9.1 goals saved above expected are second-worst behind Connor Ingram’s -10.9, per MoneyPuck.
However, the tide for Georgiev had been turning before his injury. He’d started four games in a row and put up a 3-1-0 record with a .913 SV%, bringing his year-to-date SV% up from a dreadful .822 mark.
Kevin Mandolese remains on the roster as a No. 3 for now, presumably for insurance in case Georgiev re-aggravates his injury. He could remain with the team through the rest of their road trip, which wraps up in Tampa on Monday.
Tynan, 32, was recalled ahead of Colorado’s last game, a 3-2 win over the Flyers on Monday, but he didn’t play. The Illinois native has made seven appearances for the Avs this season in between call-ups while injuries ravaged their forward corps, recording an assist and a -1 rating while averaging 7:47 per game. He’s yet to score in eight AHL contests this season but has seven assists.