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Avalanche Enter Camp With Blackwood Locked In as No. 1, Goaltending Recast as a Strength

Preseason coverage casts Mackenzie Blackwood as Colorado’s clear No. 1 after a five-year extension.

Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado Avalanche (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Acquired from San Jose last December, Mackenzie Blackwood signed a five-year contract worth $5.25 million per season that begins this year.
  • He posted a 22-12-3 record with a .913 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average in 36 Colorado starts last season, opening hot before a late dip.
  • Scott Wedgewood returns as the veteran backup after going 13-4-1 with a .917 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average in 19 appearances.
  • Preseason assessments expect Blackwood to take the bulk of starts in 2025-26, with the tandem viewed as a stabilized upgrade from early last season’s struggles.
  • Durability remains the key question for Blackwood, and depth planning includes prospect Ilya Nabokov on an entry-level deal who may begin in the AHL or be loaned back to the KHL.