Netminder Mackenzie Blackwood is thriving early on in Colorado after the Avalanche acquired him from the Sharks earlier this month. But before the deal, the pending unrestricted free agent was open to inking an extension to stick around in the Bay Area, he told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now before yesterday’s 4-2 win.
The Sharks didn’t have a similar level of interest, but even with how well Blackwood had played to begin the season, it’s justifiable. San Jose is in no position to make a long-term commitment to a starting or even high-end tandem option between the pipes, with Yaroslav Askarov on the cusp of full-time duties. Both their other veteran options, Vítek Vaněček and short-term Blackwood replacement Alexandar Georgiev, are also due to test the UFA market next summer and shouldn’t be considered likely extension candidates.
But it’s also easy to see why Blackwood would have been comfortable sticking around, even on a rebuilding Sharks squad. San Jose is where the 28-year-old reestablished himself as a legitimate NHL option, a status that was in doubt at the end of his time as a New Jersey Devil. Blackwood, a second-rounder by the Devils in 2015, had allowed 17 goals above average across his final two seasons in New Jersey before they opted to trade his signing rights to the Sharks in the 2023 offseason for a sixth-round pick.
Blackwood landed a two-year, $4.7MM prove-it deal with San Jose. While his overall numbers weren’t pretty at first glance last year, they were strong considering the league-worst Sharks defense he played behind. He posted a .899 SV% and 3.45 GAA in 44 appearances, his highest workload in four years, while saving 2.4 goals above expected.
He took a step forward before the trade in 2024-25, posting a 6-9-3 record with a .909 SV% and 3.00 GAA in 17 starts and two relief appearances. In three starts with the Avs since the trade, he’s allowed only six goals on 97 shots for a .938 SV% and has a 2-1-0 record.
While there will be some regression in his numbers with Colorado, he’s re-positioned himself as a legitimate tandem option who can handle a 30-45 start workload with slightly above-average play. His 5.8 goals saved above expected across both teams ranks 15th in the league this season, per MoneyPuck. There’s likely an argument for his $2.35MM AAV to jump to the $4MM or even $5MM range next season, whether on the open market or on an extension with the Avalanche, who don’t have an up-and-comer on the cusp of handling NHL minutes after trading Justus Annunen to the Predators.