The Colorado Avalanche have had two fantastic goaltenders this season. That’s hardly a news headline. It’s become so consistent that it’s a reality now. In fact, saying that the Avs have two great goalies is like saying the sky is blue.
But then again, the Avalanche goalie tandem has hit a new high. With the finalization of Olympic rosters just around the corner, speculation has ramped up about which players will earn the honor to represent their home countries at Milano-Cortina.
For Team Canada, the hype is about to shoot through the roof. While there’s little doubt that superstars like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will make Team Canada, there’s one name that remains an intriguing possibility: MacKenzie Blackwood.
Insider Pierre LeBrun dropped an interesting tidbit during the December 18 edition of TSN’s Insider Trading. LeBrun discussed the four names up in contention for Team Canada’s three goalie spots.
LeBrun stated the following:
“We're down to four names for Team Canada in goal; Jordan Binnington, Logan Thompson, Darcy Kuemper, and Mackenzie Blackwood. At the end of the day, my sense is they still will take Binnington.”
The name to watch will be Binnington. He’s struggled significantly at times this season. But Team Canada could be banking on his penchant for coming up big in big games. That leaves three goalies for two sports.
Logan Thompson helped his case on Thursday night, shutting out the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kuemper, meanwhile, underwent concussion protocol following a run-in with former Avalanche Mikko Rantanen earlier this week. As such, Kuemper might become the odd man out due to injury.
That would leave the Avalanche’s Blackwood as the other name on the list. The trio of Binnington, Thompson, and Blackwood would enter a tournament promising to be one of the most challenging ever.
As for who would become the starter, Binnington has the inside track. His performance at last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off was brilliant. He outdueled Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in the final.
Nevertheless, Binnington’s season thus far has been unconvincing. He still has about six weeks of playing time to prove he’s the guy. Otherwise, the starting role could come down to Thompson or Blackwood.
If Blackwood and the Avalanche keep rolling, there’s a good chance that Blackwood could get one of Team Canada’s first games. The plan may be to split the first couple of starts between Thompson and Blackwood and then ride the hot hand in the medal round.
Of course, all of that is assuming Binnington doesn’t get the call at some point. If the St. Louis Blues’ netminder channels his inner monster in Italy, he could be lights out for the Canadian squad.
Avalanche fans should keep an eye out for the news, and of course, here at Mile High Sticking, to learn which Colorado players will be on Team Canada. The roster reveal will take place on New Year’s Eve.