New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood got his first taste of the NHL when he replaced Keith Kinkaid in net on Dec. 18, 2018. He played the final period of an eventual 7–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Prudential Center. The Thunder Bay native made eight saves on ten shots in his debut.
Through five seasons, he has appeared in 152 games and holds a record of 65-57-18. Blackwood earned a career goals-against average of 2.97 and a save percentage of .906. After the 2019-20 season, he finished sixth in Calder Trophy voting, given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League," with 164 votes.
During his tenure with the organization, Blackwood has shared the ice with Kinkaid, Cory Schneider, Louis Domingue, Gilles Senn, Eric Comrie, Aaron Dell, Scott Wedgewood, Jonathan Bernier, Nico Daws, Jon Gillies, Andrew Hammond, Akira Schmid, and Vitek Vanecek.
Eventually, injuries would become a massive storyline of his young career, and this past season was no different. On May 13, he met with the media for his end-of-season media availability and opened up about the injuries that kept him off the ice throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
Blackwood Reveals Injuries
Standing before his stall, the 6-foot-4 netminder wore a sage green t-shirt and black baseball cap as he began to talk about his season.
"It was a tough year for me," he said truthfully. "A couple of injuries, which is obviously unfortunate. It's hard to get hurt, come back, and then get hurt again, so bad timing with that. Obviously, over the last couple of years (I faced) a lot of adversity. There were moments this year (where) my game was good, but it was too much fighting back from injury to get the ball rolling."
He later revealed that he dealt with an MCL and groin injury.
"The first (injury) I had was my MCL on one of my knees. I don't remember which one it was now, which is good, right," he said with a chuckle. "Later on, I pulled my groin again."
Looking ahead, Blackwood hopes to have a good summer and might change up some of his off-ice training in an effort to keep himself healthy.
Blackwood's Relationship with Vanecek and Schmid
The 26-year-old played his last game this season on April 13. He struggled and allowed four goals on 11 shots. After 21:05, he was pulled in favor of Schmid. When the postseason began, the coaching staff opted to use the goaltending tandem of Vanecek and Schmid, which meant Blackwood would watch the game from high above in the press box.
Even though he did not suit up for a game, he was proud of his teammates and how they handled their postseason journey.
"I was pretty proud of the group. You know, being down in the first series, the way they handled that and came back, it takes a lot of guts, especially in your first playoff series," he said. "I think that was huge for this group. Just the way they responded to the negative things that happened in the playoffs. Dealing with a lot of adversity, injuries, and then getting down again. I think as a group (it was) a huge learning experience for them, and I think they're gonna grow a lot from it."
Even though he was not contributing on the ice, he knew how important it was to be a good teammate and support Vanecek and Schmid through the ebbs and flows of the playoffs.
"I try and support them, and they do the same for me," he explained. "I help them on the ice, and I'm kind of the guy in the locker room that tries to help them stay loose and don't take things too seriously. You know, be professional, hold yourself accountable, but also learn to relax and enjoy yourself."
Vanecek and Schmid have both previously commented about their relationship with Blackwood, and all three have talked about their relationship positively.
"(Schmid and Vanecek) are great. I am pretty fortunate to have those two guys around, and we have a pretty good relationship," Blackwood said. "They're great guys, and I'm excited to see what they can do."
An Unknown Future
The former second-round draft pick will be a restricted free agent this summer, and there are a lot of questions surrounding the netminder. When asked about his future, he explained that he is not too concerned with that, considering it is more of a wait-and-see situation that will happen over the summer.
"Obviously, I've been here for my entire NHL career so far. I love the team, and I love all the guys, so it would be hard to leave that," he said. "At the end of the day, though, you want to go where the opportunity is. ...Obviously, if there's an opportunity (to return to the Devils), then absolutely."
Blackwood will spend his summer training back home and shared he will also spend a little time in Toronto. As far as any goals he will set for himself, it's all about reaching his potential.
"Goals for me are internal. You know, reach my potential and what I'm capable of because I don't think I have ever yet, which is frustrating, but also good at the same time because I know I'm a lot better than I have shown," he said. "For me, it's just about getting myself to a place where I feel good about my game, and I can do it consistently and play in a lot of hockey games."
Fans must wait to see where Blackwood lands when training camp opens in September. With Vanecek and Schmid under contract, it seems more than likely a deal will be made, but as fans know, it sometimes takes more than two goaltenders to help a team reach the postseason. For Blackwood, it's all about focusing on what you can control, and that is getting himself healthy and feeling good about his game.