The Avalanche Have a Goaltending Problem, and Mackenzie Blackwood Is at the Center of It

DENVER — Let’s stop dancing around the issue: the Colorado Avalanche still have a goaltending problem, and it’s not Scott Wedgewood.

It’s Mackenzie Blackwood, and the organization’s apparent reluctance to reconsider his role is becoming increasingly difficult to understand.

Blackwood isn’t a bad person, and this isn’t about questioning his work ethic or suggesting he can’t turn things around. But at some point, the results have to matter more than the potential. The Avalanche are trying to win a Stanley Cup, not justify a contract extension.

And right now, Blackwood isn’t giving them the consistency they need.

Saturday night’s 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Ball Arena was another frustrating example. Colorado had its share of defensive breakdowns and costly turnovers, but Blackwood allowed three goals on four shots in the second period and finished the night giving up five goals on 22 shots.

As head coach Jared Bednar said after the game, Blackwood has to make a save at some point.

He’s right. Defensive mistakes happen. Turnovers happen. Even good teams have nights when their coverage falls apart. But a goaltender has to bail his team out occasionally, especially when the Avalanche are making a push for a championship.

Against Toronto, Blackwood simply didn’t do enough.

Last season, there were reasons to give Blackwood some patience. Injuries interrupted his season, he missed valuable reps, and he didn’t get a normal training camp and preseason. Another lower-body injury around Christmas only made things more difficult.

Fair enough. There was reason to believe a healthy offseason would make a difference.

And to his credit, Blackwood looked better coming into camp. He appeared leaner, sharper and more focused. You could see why the Avalanche might have felt optimistic about what was ahead.

But looking good in training camp only gets you so far.

It’s a little like a boxer who dominates every sparring session, looks incredible in the gym and then gets into a real fight only to struggle with the same problems all over again. At some point, the preparation has to translate into results.

Through four starts, Blackwood has a .867 save percentage. That’s simply not good enough for a team with Colorado’s ambitions.

The question isn’t whether Blackwood looks more prepared or whether he can put together a good stretch. It’s whether he can consistently make the saves this team needs.

So far, the answer hasn’t been encouraging.

What makes this situation even more frustrating is that Colorado already has another goaltender who has shown he can get the job done.

Last season, Scott Wedgewood appeared in 45 games and went 31-6-6, posting a 2.02 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Those aren’t numbers you can casually brush aside.

Wedgewood gives the Avalanche something they’ve been missing from Blackwood: the ability to recover when things go wrong in front of him.

He makes the difficult saves. He reacts well when defensive coverage breaks down. And when the Avalanche turn the puck over in a dangerous area, he has shown he can keep one mistake from turning into a goal.

That’s a big deal for a team that expects to contend for the Stanley Cup.

Remember how valuable Wedgewood was when Blackwood was injured last season? He helped keep Colorado rolling, and his play was a major reason the team could maintain such a strong balance between its offensive production and goals allowed.

Of course, Wedgewood isn’t going to stop everything, either. But he has consistently shown that he can give this team a chance when things get messy.

Blackwood hasn’t done that nearly enough.

And if we’re talking about accountability, why shouldn’t it apply to him, too?

Sam Malinski was reportedly benched against Calgary because of his performance. After Blackwood allowed three goals on four shots in the second period against Toronto, why wasn’t the same standard applied? Why not put Wedgewood in and see if he could change the game’s momentum?

That’s not an attempt to embarrass Blackwood. It’s a decision a coach makes to give his team a better chance to win.

The uncomfortable part of this conversation is the contract.

Colorado extended Blackwood almost immediately after acquiring him from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Alexandar Georgiev. The Avalanche needed to move on from the Georgiev situation, and Blackwood looked like a promising solution.

At the time, the move made sense. But the organization may have committed too quickly.

Blackwood is signed through the 2029-30 season at $5.25 million annually. That’s a significant investment, and nobody in Colorado wants to look back on that decision and admit it didn’t work out as planned.

That’s understandable. Nobody likes being wrong, especially when a long-term contract is involved.

But the Avalanche can’t allow that investment to dictate who gets the net.

Wedgewood is older and on an expiring contract. Blackwood is younger and under contract for several more seasons. Those are important considerations for the front office, but they shouldn’t determine who starts tonight or who gets the next opportunity.

The only question that should matter right now is which goaltender gives Colorado the best chance to win.

If that’s Wedgewood, then play Wedgewood.

Blackwood can work his way back into the conversation by playing better. That’s how competition is supposed to work. He shouldn’t lose his chance to prove himself, but he shouldn’t be guaranteed the starting job while the results continue to fall short.

Colorado’s championship window isn’t going to stay open forever. Nathan MacKinnon can’t carry the team by himself, even if he occasionally makes it look as though he can. When the offense goes quiet in the playoffs, the importance of timely saves becomes even more obvious.

We’ve seen what happens when defensive mistakes aren’t covered up by elite goaltending. The Avalanche cannot afford to spend another season hoping those issues magically disappear when the games get bigger.

Meanwhile, Ilya Nabokov is showing promise with the Colorado Eagles. He stopped all 33 shots in his AHL debut and has put together encouraging early results. His development is worth watching, especially if Blackwood continues to struggle.

But Nabokov shouldn’t be rushed into the NHL simply because Colorado is frustrated with its current situation. The Avalanche have a more immediate option sitting right in front of them.

Wedgewood has earned a bigger opportunity. Give it to him.

The upcoming back-to-back against the Dallas Stars could be an important turning point. Both goaltenders should have a chance to make their case, and if Wedgewood significantly outperforms Blackwood, the organization needs to be willing to respond accordingly.

How much more evidence does Colorado need before it seriously reconsiders the situation?

This isn’t about giving up on Blackwood after a bad game. It’s about recognizing that the struggles have become a pattern and that the team has another option capable of delivering better results.

The Avalanche don’t need to prove that extending Blackwood was the right decision. They need to make the right decision now.

Because contracts don’t make saves, and the desire to be right doesn’t win championships.

Colorado has a goaltender who has earned the opportunity to take the reins. It’s time to stop treating Scott Wedgewood like the backup and start giving him the chance to prove he can be the guy.

What do you think? Should Wedgewood get the starting job until further notice, or does Blackwood deserve more time to figure things out? Let me know in the comments.