Colorado Avalanche’s Blackwood Facing Pivotal Season – The Hockey Writers – Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are still among the favorites to capture the Stanley Cup even if their contention window is slowly closing. They have arguably the most talented core in the league and want to win now.

The Central Division hasn’t changed much this offseason and should be formidable again in 2026-27. Though Scott Wedgewood finished fifth in Vezina Trophy voting a season ago, Colorado’s other netminder, Mackenzie Blackwood, will have a lot of eyes on him. Blackwood must prove that he can be the leading man on one of the best teams in the NHL

Blackwood Has Shown the Promise Needed to Be No. 1

When the Avalanche acquired Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks in December 2024 for a couple of draft picks and prospect Nikolai Kovalenko, he seemed to be a good goalie in a bad situation. He stepped into an abysmal goaltending situation and immediately found success.

In 37 games with the Avalanche in 2024-25, Blackwood went 22-12-3 with an impressive 2.33 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. It seemed Colorado finally had a definitive No.1 goalie for the first time in years. What really stood out was Blackwood’s exceptional athleticism. With a legitimate team in front of him, this was a low-risk move that seemed to pay immediate dividends.

Losing the Job to Wedgewood

Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Avalanche had a legitimate 1-2 punch in net with Blackwood and veteran netminder Scott Wedgewood. The two were expected to split time, while Blackwood was the “No.1” option.

Though he appeared in 39 games, it quickly became clear that the crease belonged to Wedgewood. The 34-year-old enjoyed the best season of his long career, and some called him the “best goaltender in the league.”

Blackwood, meanwhile, struggled with injuries and inconsistency. He had stretches of strong play followed by allowing a handful of soft goals. Wedgewood played so well that it seemed like Blackwood couldn’t do anything to make it a debate any longer.

Blackwood Facing a “Prove It” Season

Though the Avalanche aren’t pressed to move Blackwood – he’s signed through 2030 at $5.25 million per season – another year of struggles will leave the team with more questions than answers. He will turn 30 during this season, and he offers the Avalanche team control at a reasonable rate in the rising salary cap era. He hasn’t been bad, merely inconsistent and struggling to stay on the ice.

If Blackwood can look like he did when he first arrived from the Sharks, it would go a long way toward solidifying Colorado’s goaltending situation for the future. Wedgewood is already on the back half of his career, and last season could have been an anomaly. Expecting him to do that again would be asking a lot. The Avalanche clearly need Blackwood to grab the reins and be the guy moving forward.

Avalanche Facing Uncertain Future in Goal

The Avalanche could be facing an interesting scenario in net heading into 2027-28. Wedgewood will become an unrestricted free agent after this season at 35 years old, while prospect Ilya Nabokov will no doubt be looking for a role. If Blackwood has another down campaign, the net could look very different a year from now.

As it stands, there is still time for Blackwood to become the true No. 1 in Denver. He has flashed the talent and production before; now, it’s time for him to remain healthy and consistent. The opportunity is there. It’s just a matter of whether he can grab it.