Avalanche swaps backup goaltenders, trades for veteran Scott Wedgewood

DALLAS — The Colorado Avalanche has shaken up the goaltending position for a second time this season.

Colorado traded backup goalie Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft to the Nashville Predators for veteran Scott Wedgewood.

The 32-year-old Wedgewood has played for four teams. He signed a two-year contract worth $1.5 million per season with the Predators this past summer. Wedgewood set a career-high with 32 games played last season with the Dallas Stars.

Annunen was a 2018 draft pick by the Avalanche, and was also signed through next season at $837,500. He had his first extended run in the NHL during the second half of last season and went 8-4-1 in 14 games with a .928 save percentage.

This season has not gone as planned for Annunen, or starter Alexandar Georgiev. Annunen was 6-4 with an .872 save percentage in 11 games before the trade. He was pulled from two of his last three starts, including an 8-2 loss Monday at Tampa Bay. Annunen allowed three goals in the first 10 minutes of that game, went back in to start the third period and yielded goals on the next two shots he faced as well.

Both goaltenders started the season poorly, prompting the Avs to acquire Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets. Kahkonen spent part of his tenure with the team waiting for his immigration situation to allow him to join the team, then he got one start before going back on waivers and being re-claimed by the Jets.