Avalanche goalie is prime breakout candidate

The Colorado Avalanche's goaltending is one area that fans will focus on significantly next season. There is no question that starter Alexandar Georgiev would benefit from a lighter workload in 2024-25. Over the last two seasons, he appeared in a whopping 125 games (124 starts), and fatigue naturally set in this past campaign.

However, after being recalled to the Avalanche's NHL roster in the second half of last season, Justus Annunen gave the club a big boost between the pipes. In 14 appearances, he sported an 8-4-1 record, a 2.25 goals-against average, and a .928 save percentage. With numbers like these, the 24-year-old showed that he has the potential to become an impactful netminder, and he is expected to be on their opening night roster next season because of it.

While Annunen's sample size from last season was small, it is hard not to feel optimistic about him heading into 2024-25. He is a clear breakout candidate for the Avalanche, and if he carries this kind of play over an entire season, he will cement himself as a legitimate NHL goaltender. If Georgiev struggles and Annunen stays hot in 2024-25, perhaps the promising prospect could challenge for the starting gig.

Nevertheless, it will be pretty interesting to see what kind of year Annunen has. There is no question that he has promise, and it would be significant for the Avalanche if he breaks out as a full-time NHL goaltender.

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