7/3/22 | Friedman wrote at Sportsnet that the Rangers asking price for Georgiev was “high” and included a “non-waiver eligible prospect, but that teams weren’t “biting” because they think he could become a UFA if he isn’t qualified.
7/2/22 | On his show on Thursday, Jeff Marek spoke about Alex Georgiev and said “It seemed like all season long and I don’t think the Rangers budged off of this, it’ll take a player and a high pick or prospect to get Georgiev away from the Rangers. Obviously, as of now, now one has been prepared to pay that price.”
Elliotte Friedman said that the Rangers “probably” would qualify Georgiev, but “you have to qualify Georgiev at a pretty good number and New York needs all the space they can get.” (Sportsnet)
On Friday’s 32 Thoughts Podcast, Marek and Friedman had this conversation:
- Marek: “It sounds like the Rangers are still sticking to a pretty high price for Alex Georgiev…”
- Freidman: “Yea, but it’s a tough one for them. I don’t know how they’ll be able to qualify him.”
- Marek: “You think they make a move before that?”
- Friedman: “It’s just that I think teams either will make a move for less than what they might be asking for or teams are going to say, ‘we’ll wait and see if you qualify him.”
- Marek: “It sounds like a player and a pick or a player and a prospect for Georgiev.”
- Friedman: “I’m sure they are trying. Chris Drury knows the market better than I do, but I know the way this is going and so many teams are tight up against the cap and they’re like ‘Georgiev at $2.6, is that what the Rangers are going to do or are we going to see him as a UFA? Unless somebody says that they absolutely have to have this guy, we want to check him out as a free agent and I think that is the path a lot of people are looking at.”
On Friday afternoon on the NHL Network, Elliotte Friedman said “Georgiev is a restricted free agent, but the Rangers have to qualify him and right now they are trying to trade him and I think they are looking for a young player that doesn’t need to clear waivers in return. But, some of the teams are looking at this and saying why should we make a trade, unless we absolutely want him, why should we make a trade if we have the possibility of seeing if the Rangers qualify him. I think there is a bit of a poker game going over with Georgiev right now.”
Kevin Weekes tweeted on Friday, “does a buyer pay the price NYR set.”
Georgiev was ranked 14th on Daily Faceoff’s Trade Target list and Frank Seravalli wrote that “the difficult in moving him is the Rangers’ ask has been high.”
Arthur Staple writes in The Athletic that “there was never a chance” that the Rangers would keep him on his $2.6 million qualifying offer and that a trade partner now “will be hard to find.”
He adds that the Oilers have shown interest but may want to send a contract back to the Rangers. (The Athletic)
It’s been reported that the Rangers were looking for a first-round pick for Georgiev.
Adam Rotter: With the news of Ryan Strome and Andrew Copp likely becoming free agents, a lot of people feel that the Rangers are now trying to use Georgiev in a potential trade package for a center or to acquire assets to use in their pursuit of a center. The former seems much more likely because Georgiev does have value as a second or third piece in a trade, especially since there is almost no chance he returns next season.
While it’s a risk to qualify Georgiev and potentially be stuck with him at a number of $2.6 million that they really can’t afford, many people around the league don’t think Chris Drury is going to let him go for nothing. It may end up being that he goes for a fourth-rounder on Day 2 of the draft just so that the Rangers get something for him and don’t let a player that has proven he can be an NHL goalie get away for nothing.