The Colorado Avalanche extended goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, inking him to a five-year deal, according to The Hockey News. My colleague Graham Tiedtke initially broke news of the extension, indicating the deal had a price tag of $26.25 million.
In short, the contract is a bargain for a goalie who looks completely reborn. MacKenzie Blackwood’s performance for the Avalanche thus far is akin to him being taken aboard an alien spaceship and coming back superhuman after getting exposed to all that radiation.
Friday night’s game against the Utah Hockey Club was an indication of just how much Blackwood’s influence has impacted the team. With the Avs leading 1-0 heading into the third, the Hockey Club pushed until a fortunate bounce tied the game.
That’s the point where elite goalies help their teams win. Blackwood shut the door and bought the Avs enough time to win the game. Even with a two-goal lead late in the game, Blackwood made a huge stop on Clayton Keller to seal the win.
Sure, it’s only been five games for Blackwood in an Avalanche uniform. But those five games have been more than enough to convince the Avalanche faithful that the team has something in Blackwood. In those five games, Blackwood is 4-1 with a 1.82 GAA and a .940 SV%. Those are elite numbers any way you cut them.
Of course, those numbers are unsustainable. They will regress somewhat as the season wears on. But when compared to Blackwood’s numbers in San Jose, it’s like we’re talking about two completely different players.
In short, the Avalanche made the right move by signing Blackwood to that extension now. However, there’s another powerful reason why the Avalanche made the right call.
MacKenzie Blackwood’s cap hit is a steal for Colorado Avalanche
So, the Colorado Avalanche made away like bandits with the deal they got for Blackwood. Blackwood ended up agreeing to a $5.25 million AAV.
This AAV shows two things. First, both sides wanted to get a deal done sooner rather than later. Blackwood wanted to stay in Colorado and Colorado wanted to keep Blackwood. There was no point in delaying a deal under those circumstances.
The second point lies in the fact that the Avalanche could have paid a higher price for Blackwood. Let’s assume for a moment Blackwood plays out of his mind for the remainder of the season. That showing could have potentially driven up the price, forcing the Avs to pay more with Blackwood as a UFA.
Instead, both sides saved themselves all of that drama. Blackwood secured his future while sending a clear message to his teammates. Blackwood is a team player that’s committed to the organization winning.
Naturally, money is important. We all need to make a living. But at the end of the day, Blackwood put the team first by signing a team-friendly deal. Yes, a $5.25 AAV is a team-friendly deal for a legitimate number-one starting goalie in today’s NHL.
Kudos to Blackwood and the Avalanche for finding a happy medium that will allow the team to remain competitive for the foreseeable future.