That was fast.
Mackenzie Blackwood signed a five-year, $26.25 million extension ($5.25 million AAV) with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, following the trade that sent him out of the San Jose Sharks organization Dec. 9.
“When we acquired Mackenzie a few weeks ago, we wanted to let him get to Denver, get acclimated to his new team, new city and then in due time we’d reach out to him and his representatives,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in a team statement. “We are thrilled to get this deal done now and have Mackenzie under contract for the next six years.”
Blackwood has three wins through his first four games with the Avalanche with .931 Save %. His new deal starts after the contract the San Jose Sharks gave him back in 2023 — two years at $2,350,000 million AAV — expires at the end of this season.
It also makes Blackwood the clear No. 1 netminder for the Avalanche in the coming years, alongside back-up Scott Wedgewood’s $1,500,000 million AAV over the next two years.
“As I said when we acquired him, we feel like Mackenzie has just gotten better and better every year and he has come in and done a great job with us in his first few starts,” MacFarland said. “He’s a big body, athletic goaltender who is still young and still growing as a goaltender. Stylistically, he has fit really well with how we play and has been a perfect fit in our dressing room as well.”
After the trade, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier revealed that he considered keeping Blackwood, but concluded, “He probably played his way out of what we would be looking for, especially, he’s going to want some term.”
It looks like Grier made the right call. San Jose’s net is likely up-and-coming star Yaroslav Askarov’s in the coming years, and while Askarov has just a $2 million AAV in the next two years after this season, he might be a very expensive RFA in the summer of 2027, if he’s as good as the Sharks project.
“My job is to look down the road too,” Grier stressed, “and how much money do you want in the net?”
So while the vibes of a Askarov-Blackwood duo might have been out of control — “He’s a beauty,” Yaroslav Askarov told SJHN — it’s a salary cap league, first and foremost.
The hockey world is buzzing with excitement as the Colorado Avalanche announced their latest big signing – goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. The former New Jersey Devils netminder has inked a massive contract with the Avalanche, solidifying their goaltending depth for years to come.
Many fans and analysts were surprised by the move, as Blackwood had been a staple in the Devils’ crease for the past few seasons. However, the Avalanche saw an opportunity to add a talented young goaltender to their roster and did not hesitate to make the move.
The Sharks, who were also reportedly interested in Blackwood, ultimately made the right call by letting him sign with the Avalanche. With their own goaltending situation already in good hands, the Sharks can now focus on other areas of their roster that may need attention.
Blackwood’s signing with the Avalanche is a win-win for both parties. The Avalanche get a talented, young goaltender to bolster their already strong lineup, while Blackwood gets the opportunity to compete for a Stanley Cup with one of the top teams in the league.
Overall, this move is a clear indication that the Sharks made the right call in letting Blackwood sign with the Avalanche. It’s a smart move that will benefit both teams in the long run.
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