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Avalanche Sign New Starting Goalie to Extension

The Colorado Avalanche have signed their new starting goalie to an extension after just four games.

Jacob Punturi

Dec 19, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (39) follows the puck against the San Jose Sharks in the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Dec 19, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (39) follows the puck against the San Jose Sharks in the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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The Colorado Avalanche totally remade their goaltending tandem in the middle of the season when they acquired Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. It was a rarely seen move, swapping out both goalies for new ones during regular season action, but the Avalanche are already extremely pleased with their new duo in net.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Avalanche are so pleased with the play of Blackwood that they are already discussing a contract extension. Friedman took to his X account to share the latest rumblings.

"Hearing momentum growing between Colorado and Mackenzie Blackwood on a contract extension," he wrote. "A pending UFA, the Avalanche acquired him on Dec. 9. They move quick."

As Friedman writes, this would be an incredibly quick progression for both Blackwood and the Avalanche. It's been less than a month since the team acquired the 28-year-old net minder, but they've apparently seen all they need to know he is their guy moving forward.

Blackwood has just four starts with the Avalanche so far, but has been impressive when in the net. He's posted a record of 3-1 and carrying a goals against average 2.03 and a .931 save percentage. His Avs debut against the Nashville Predators was a sterling one. He stopped 37 of 39 shots against him and immediately provided a stabilizing presence in goal.

Before the Avalanche acquired him, Blackwood was garnering attention for his performance with the San Jose Sharks. Playing on the rebuilding team, he managed to not only stand out, but thrive despite the team losing most of his starts.

His best game of the season came when the Sharks took on the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. The Cats hemmed San Jose into their own end for the entirety of the game and barraged Blackwood with shot attempts. The Panthers won the game 3-1, but Blackwood was the star of the game as he stopped 51 of 54 shots against one of the best teams in the NHL.

The Avalanche made the signing official by announcing a five-year extension for Blackwood. This new deal will keep Blackwood in Denver until the 2029-30 season. According to the team, this was the plan from the moment they traded for him.

“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. “We are thrilled to get this deal done now and have Mackenzie under contract for the next six 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."

Friedman reports that Blackwood's average annual value sits at $5.25 million.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.

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