Aarif Deen
As it pertains to goaltending, the 2025–26 Colorado Avalanche didn’t have many issues until the worst possible time, in the middle of a brutal Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood split the crease for the Avalanche this past season, with Trent Miner also getting a brief NHL look. Across the regular season and playoffs, Colorado used three goalies in a combined 95 games. Wedgewood led the way with 53 starts, Blackwood had 39, and Miner appeared in three.
In an ideal world, Blackwood would have taken a larger share of the workload, especially in the postseason. But a 2025 offseason injury that lingered into training camp left him playing catch-up from the start. To Wedgewood’s credit, he was handed the reins in October and never let go.
Wedgewood was a major reason for Colorado’s strong early-season stability. His play allowed Blackwood time to gradually find his rhythm, even if consistency never fully returned right away. Wedgewood’s late-season push ultimately earned him the starting job entering the playoffs.
He was strong against the Los Angeles Kings, solid at times against Minnesota, and then struggled heavily in the Western Conference Final against Vegas. He did not start in the season-ending Game 4.
Naturally, that led to questions after the season about whether the Avalanche had the right goaltending mix. Wedgewood has long been viewed as a capable backup who can handle stretches of starts, while Blackwood carries the higher ceiling, but availability and health remain the bigger concerns.
President of Hockey Operations and general manager Joe Sakic addressed the position when he met with the media last week.
His opening point was the organization’s growing depth, including the arrival of prospect Ilya Nabokov from Russia.
“Our goaltending depth has gotten better with Nabokov coming over for sure,” Sakic said. “But I thought both goaltenders… hey, listen, they won the Jennings Trophy together. Goaltending was not an issue all year. I like the way it was operated. They both played well, and we expect them to get a little bit better next year and a little stronger.”
Sakic continued: “You go to Blackwood, and he had a tough start last year with injuries. It’s hard for goaltenders to miss all of training camp and then get back and try to find a rhythm. He’s 100 percent now. He was 100 percent down the stretch. He’s got a whole summer to get ready and focus, and like all our guys, everybody’s going to be healthy going into the season. We don’t have to worry about nagging injuries.”
Nabokov, a second-round pick in 2024, was 21 at the time of his selection and was in the middle of a strong stint in the KHL. He made the move to North America in the spring and joined the Eagles for practices, though he did not appear in any games with Miner handling the AHL crease throughout the year and playoffs.
Nabokov did, however, serve as Miner’s backup during the postseason run.
All of which points to the same conclusion: it’s unlikely the Avalanche make any changes in goal heading into 2026–27. Nabokov’s arrival only deepens an already solid group. Colorado will likely enter the season with a starter it trusts in Blackwood, a reliable tandem partner in Wedgewood, and a steady AHL starter in Miner.
Nabokov is expected to share AHL duties with Miner and, if his development continues, could push for an NHL debut at some point during the season. He is probably viewed as a more viable long-term NHL option than Miner, and he’s likely going to get an opportunity to prove that.
Blackwood, Wedgewood, Nabokov, Miner, as well as Isak Posch and recent signing Ilya Novosyolov, are all under contract for 2026-27.