New York Rangers: Top-10 prospects under 24
By Ed Stein
8. Alexandar Georgiev (23), Goalie
Aleksander Georgiev has come a long way in a short time. It was only two years ago, the Belarusian netminder turned an invite to the New York Rangers development camp into a three-year entry-level contract. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, Georgiev had been playing against men as a 19-year-old in 2015 with TPS of the Finnish Elite League.
It didn’t take long for him to make it to the NHL. With Ondrej Pavelec ineffective as Henrik Lundqvist‘s backup, Georgiev was called up to the Rangers from Hartford. He debuted on February 22, 2018, saving 38-of-40 shots against Montreal in a 3-1 Blueshirts loss.
Last year, he was excellent as the team’s alternative to King Henrik. Georgiev went 14-13-4 in 33 games (30 starts) with a 2.91 goals-against average (GAA), .914 save percentage (SV%), and a pair of shutouts. More importantly, he proved that when the Ranger’s number one goalie struggled, Georgiev was more than a competent replacement.
His mechanics between the pipes are very good. It’s rare that Georgiev gets beaten badly. As a member of the New York Rangers, he is in a bit of an unenviable position, sandwiched between a legend and a young up and comer. Depending on how quickly Igor Shestyorkin develops, Georgiev’s time in New York may be brief.