Aarif Deen
What a difference a month makes.
On the night before Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, Alexandar Georgiev was in goal for the Avalanche in what ended up being his last home game with the team. Colorado dominated but barely squeaked by the Vegas Golden Knights with a 2-1 shootout triumph at Ball Arena. This was the performance that followed an embarrassing 8-2 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both Georgiev and Justus Annunen were pulled that night and during one of the intermissions, Miles Wood slammed his stick into pieces and the blade ended up hitting head coach Jared Bednar.
That was the game that changed everything.
Scott Wedgewood was brought in two days after the holiday, and Georgiev ended up making two more starts and finishing just one game after that. He was shipped to San Jose on Dec. 9 in a trade that brought Mackenzie Blackwood back the other way.
READ MORE: ‘It’s a Good Culture’: Avs Goaltender Excited with Long-Term Deal
Blackwood, 28, was in the midst of a strong season for a team without plans of making the playoffs. He had a losing record, but it was his .911 save percentage that told the real story.
In his finale with the Sharks, Blackwood made 51 saves — nearly broke a San Jose single-period saves record — and still came out with a loss. He did that the same night Georgiev played in his last game with the Avs.
Fast forward to Dec. 27, and Blackwood has been labeled Colorado’s long-term starting goalie. He signed a five-year contract worth $5.25 million per season and has ultimately been attached to the prime years of core pieces Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen (assuming he re-signs). Blackwood is the first goalie in almost 11 years to get this type of commitment from the Avs. It’s a shift in philosophy — one that saw the team have four starting goalies in less than five seasons. But it was a necessary move after all the drama in the final year of Georgiev’s tenure.
Colorado basically did what I had been calling for the front office to do since October. General manager Chris MacFarland found his Corey Crawford. He found the goalie that (hopefully) can play at or above league average, have a Stanley Cup pedigree, and just be an all-around great locker room guy on a team stacked with talent. Crawford won two Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks during his time. But he’s not a Hall of Fame caliber goalie. And, like Blackwood, he became the starter of a team that already had one Stanley Cup with its core group.
READ MORE: Mackenzie Blackwood Signs Five-Year Extension With the Avalanche
Was this the right move to make? Is Blackwood the correct goalie to commit half a decade to after just four games with your team? I mean, he got a new contract before a goalie mask with the Avalanche logo on it. It’s all kind of crazy.
But despite how quickly it all happened, despite Blackwood not yet having a playoff appearance under his belt, count me as one whose on board for this move. And here’s why:
While at the onset, it sounds like a huge number and a massive commitment, it’s not as bad as it seems. Like every other position, goaltending contracts are on the rise. We’ve been programmed as hockey fans to have somewhat of a base for what a player is worth over the past four years. And it’s largely because of the flat cap caused by COVID. But things are finally changing.
This is something to also keep in mind amid the Rantanen negotiations leading up to the contract he signs, whether in Colorado or elsewhere. (I still have every reason to believe he will re-sign).
What would’ve been one of the higher-paid deals among goaltenders a year ago isn’t even top 16 for the upcoming season anymore. And in a league where 32 teams each have a starter, Blackwood is ultimately being paid to be a notch below league average. You have to believe he’s going to be better than that, right?
The commitment is also a damning move by the franchise. It’s a sign that they’re done with doing this every 12-24 months. The team has spent so many resources, scouting, draft capital, etc. always trying to find the next up-and-coming goalie — or the next veteran to lead their squad. But this is a sign that they’re done with all of that.
Building a Stanley Cup squad is tough the first time. It gets even more difficult after you lose a bunch of noteworthy pieces because of the salary cap crunch. MacFarland needs to be able to use his assets elsewhere. He needs stability in goal and betting on Blackwood — once the Team Canada goalie of the future — is a worthy gamble.
Blackwood is 3-1-0 with the Avs, surrendering just two goals in each game. He has a sparkling .931 save percentage and, along with Wedgewood, has brought a lot of character and looseness to a room that has become seemingly more grumpy over the years. He’s everything the team needed and he’s stopping the puck. What more could you ask for?
It’s all you need from your top goalie. Especially one who likely won’t even crack the top half of the highest-paid starters in the NHL for the length of his deal. If he wins even one Stanley Cup, he’ll quickly become the most vital trade acquisition in the MacFarland era.
The piece that ensures MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen are multiple-time Stanley Cup champions with the team that drafted them.