Rising star Pavel Francouz, now the Avalanche’s clear-cut No. 1 goaltender after the team traded for a backup Monday, was named the NHL’s first star of the week less than an hour after Colorado added goalie Michael Hutchinson ahead of the league’s trade deadline.
Francouz went 3-0-1 with a 1.46 goals-against average and .941 save percentage last week as the Avs amassed seven of eight points. He signed a two-year extension with the club Friday before Colorado beat Anaheim 1-0 for Francouz’s first career NHL shutout.
Francouz, 29, began the season as Philipp Grubauer’s backup but has out-performed Grubauer before and after he sustained a lower-body injury that has ruled him out indefinitely.