Former NHLer Alexandar Georgiev signs two-year deal with KHL’s Spartak Moscow

Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev has already found a new home, as he’s signed a two-year contract with Spartak Moscow in the KHL.

Georgiev was a free agent after the termination of his one-year, $825,000 contract with the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Since he had cleared waivers to make that happen, it’s clear that he had no interest from any NHL teams, so he looked at the KHL as his best option for playing time, and found one with Spartak Moscow.

Georgiev initially signed his one-year deal during training camp after the Sabres learned that starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was dealing with a long-term injury, as they were looking for more depth in the crease in Luukkonen’s absence.

However, it didn’t quite work out that way. The Sabres already had a couple other NHL options upon signing Georgiev, as they had Alex Lyon, who was on a two-year contract with a $1.5 million cap hit and was expected to be the backup goaltender behind Luukkonen; along with Devon Levi, who isn’t really a prospect anymore but is considered to have high potential to be a top goaltender in the coming years. The Sabres also claimed Colten Ellis off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues at the end of the preseason, who then became the backup behind Lyon while Luukkonen was hurt.

The Sabres sudden increase of depth in the crease didn’t even give Georgiev playing time in the AHL. He only ended up playing two games with Buffalo’s minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans, where he had an 0-2-0 record and allowed seven goals on 67 shots for an .896 save percentage. The Americans have otherwise been leaning on Levi and Topias Leinonen for their starts, and while both goalies have also struggled so far this season, they are younger and have much higher upside than Georgiev at this stage of their careers.

Georgiev joins a Spartak Moscow team that is currently seventh in the Western Conference with a 10-4-3-12 record.