The position widely circled as the Avalanche’s biggest trade deadline need has been, and remains, center. So it raised eyebrows when general manager Chris MacFarland acquired a goaltender Saturday from Boston.
With backup goalie Pavel Francouz injured, the timing of Colorado’s trade for 33-year-old Keith Kincaid seemed on the surface to be packed with subtext: Is Francouz going to be out longer than the expected mid-March timeline? Was this an emergency play for Alexandar Georgiev’s new playoff backup?
But Avalanche coach Jared Bednar says Francouz (lower body) hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his recovery, calling Kincaid a “depth pickup.