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The Colorado Avalanche, a preseason Stanley Cup favorite now fighting for a wild-card playoff spot as they seek consistency in net, acquired goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

The Avs received Blackwood and forward Givani Smith from the Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, rookie forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick. The Avs also retained $476,000 of Georgiev’s salary.

Blackwood’s arrival is the latest development for a front office that has revamped its goalie tandem over the past 10 days. Colorado swapped backup goaltenders with the Nashville Predators on Nov. 30, picking up Scott Wedgewood in exchange for Justus Annunen.

Wedgewood recorded a 4-0 shutout against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. He also relieved Georgiev, who gave up four goals on eight shots, as the Avs rallied to a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 3.

Figuring how the Avalanche would address their goaltending became a priority in what has become a trying season at times for the 2022 Stanley Cup champions.

What made the need to solve their goaltending crisis even more vital was the disconnect from their defensive metrics. Natural Stat Trick’s data shows the Avs are in the top 10 in fewest scoring chances allowed per 60 and shots allowed per 60 while having the NHL’s second-lowest team save percentage at 88.8%.

That save percentage was further compounded because the Avalanche had already used four different goalies before the team’s 30th game. Last season, the Avs needed only three goalies to get through an 82-game season.

Although Blackwood has a 6-9-3 record with a 3.00 goals-against average, he does have a .910 save percentage, which ranks 12th among goalies with more than 10 games. He also came into Monday with a 3.9 GSVA (goals saved above expected) that ranked 20th.

Blackwood is also a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of a two-year deal that sees him earn $2.35 million annually, while Wedgewood has another year left on his contract.

Entering Monday, the Avs (16-13-0) were tied with the Edmonton Oilers on points but held the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The rebuilding Sharks (10-15-6) were seven points behind the Avs and seven points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL’s worst record.

Georgiev, who averaged 39 wins in his first two seasons with the Avs, joins Vitek Vanecek as part of the Sharks’ goaltending tandem. They’re both pending UFAs at the end of the season for a team that also has one of the NHL’s top goalie prospects in Yaroslav Askarov in the AHL.

It now gives the Sharks seven UFAs who could potentially be traded ahead of the NHL trade deadline to attain more draft capital.

Kovalenko, the son of former NHL forward Andrei Kovalenko, is a 25-year-old who came to North America last season after playing the past few years in the KHL in Russia. Kovalenko, who has four goals and eight points in 28 games, will be a pending restricted free agent at the end of the season.

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Dodgers’ Snell to pause throwing after discomfort

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Dodgers' Snell to pause throwing after discomfort

CHICAGO — Los Angeles Dodgers starter Blake Snell will back off his throwing program as he continues to recover from left shoulder inflammation, according to manager Dave Roberts.

“As he was playing catch, he just didn’t feel great,” Roberts said Wednesday afternoon before the Dodgers played the Chicago Cubs. “Right now, we’re going to slow play the throwing. Will probably get it looked at again when we get back home.”

Snell, 32, has been on the injured list since early April after making just two starts for the Dodgers. He signed a five-year, $182 million contract this past offseason.

Snell, who was set to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, felt discomfort in the shoulder while playing catch Tuesday. Roberts was asked how concerning the latest setback was.

“I wouldn’t say concerning because part of the messaging from us to Blake is, it’s about later on in the season and if there’s any type of discomfort, let’s not try to fight through it,” Roberts responded.

Snell is one of several Dodgers pitchers on the mend, including left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who pitched three innings in a minor league start Tuesday, his second rehab outing this spring.

“Velocity was good,” Roberts said. “Got into the fourth inning. He’ll make a start next week. Really positive stuff.”

The Dodgers also received positive news about right-hander Tyler Glasnow after he left his last start with leg cramps. His latest bullpen session went well, according to Roberts.

Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani is throwing again after missing time on the paternity list. He’ll have another bullpen session Saturday as he recovers from elbow surgery, though the team still doesn’t have a timetable for his return to major league action.

The team was also without catcher Will Smith on Wednesday after he injured his wrist on a play at the plate in Tuesday’s loss to the Cubs.

“As he made the tag, his [left] wrist turned in and so there’s some residual soreness,” Roberts said.

Smith could get imaging done when the team returns to Los Angeles, but Roberts wasn’t overly concerned about the injury.

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Crow-Armstrong stays hot vs. hometown Dodgers

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Crow-Armstrong stays hot vs. hometown Dodgers

CHICAGO — Most players are happy to be done facing the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong might not be one of them.

The Los Angeles native has torched his childhood team this season, including Wednesday night at Wrigley Field when he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two stolen bases and a career-high four RBIs, helping the Cubs to a 7-6 win. It came one night after Chicago beat L.A. 11-10, with Crow-Armstrong contributing another home run.

He was asked Wednesday whether his production has special meaning coming against the team he used to root for.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I mean, they are regarded as the best, and I think we’ve enjoyed being able to show that we’re right there with them, and yeah, it’s always a little extra special for me getting to do it against the team I grew up going to see.”

Crow-Armstrong erased a 2-0 Cubs deficit with an opposite-field, three-run homer in the fourth inning, then added a run-scoring single an inning later, which turned out to be the final run of the night for the Cubs.

Overall, he had four home runs and nine RBIs in the seven-game season series against the Dodgers, which the Cubs won 4-3 after losing the first two games in Japan in mid-March. But that was before the Cubs’ offense took off. They’re averaging an MLB-high 6.3 runs per game.

Crow-Armstrong’s season took off as well, starting over a week ago when the teams met in Los Angeles. In the 10 games since, the 23-year-old is hitting .400 with five home runs.

“He needs to send me a bottle of wine or some golf balls with all the success he’s had,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts quipped before Wednesday’s game.

Roberts and Crow-Armstrong exchanged pleasantries before the first game of the series, as the second-year player is friends with Roberts’ son, Cole. The two played against each other growing up.

“I got a couple different connections to Doc,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He’s so great.”

That’s the same word Crow-Armstrong’s teammates are using about him as he continues to impress both at the plate and in the field. According to ESPN Research, he’s the fastest player in Cubs history to reach five home runs and 10 stolen bases, doing it in 26 games.

Plus, his pitchers love seeing him patrol center field.

“Defensively, I got to say he’s probably the best,” Wednesday’s starter, Matthew Boyd, said. “And what he’s doing at the plate is no surprise.”

Crow-Armstrong showed signs of breaking out late last year but then struggled early this season before locking in during the Cubs’ most recent road trip. He said he got “on-time” with his swing while learning how to deal with failure better. He was asked how satisfied he is with his game right now.

“If it comes out in a win, it’s very satisfactory,” he said. “It makes me feel very content. I love being able to impact it in any way I can.”

So does his manager, who called Wednesday a “wonderful game” for Crow-Armstrong.

“He made his presence felt in a big way for sure,” Craig Counsell said.

Crow-Armstrong is quickly becoming a fan favorite, as the Cubs faithful are taking to his aggressive style of play. He was asked what it’s like to hear his name chanted when he comes to the plate after producing in previous at-bats.

“I’ve tried to tune that out,” he said with a laugh. “I was actually thinking about it yesterday and I was like, I got to be 0-for-20 when they’ve chanted my name. But they continue to chant and they get behind every one of us and it’s the coolest thing.”

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Rangers’ Seager goes on IL with hamstring strain

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Rangers' Seager goes on IL with hamstring strain

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Texas Rangers placed shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day injured list Wednesday because of a strained right hamstring.

Seager, 30, pulled up while running to first base in the sixth inning Tuesday at the Athletics and left the game. He started 21 of Texas’ first 23 games this season and is hitting .286 with four home runs and six RBIs. Seager has a team-high 17 hits since April 8.

The Rangers also called up infielder Nick Ahmed and designated left-handed pitcher Walter Pennington for assignment. Ahmed, 35, is seeking to appear in a major league game for the 12th consecutive season. He has played for Arizona (2014-23), San Francisco (2024), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2024) and San Diego (2024).

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