Avalanche reward newly acquired goalie Blackwood with 5-year, $26.25 million contract extension

It didn't take goalie Mackenzie Blackwood long to establish himself as the Colorado Avalanche's starter for the present and future after signing a five-year $26.25 million contract extension on Friday.

The Avalanche announced the signing, and a person with direct knowledge of the contract confirmed its value to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team did not reveal the monetary figure first reported by Sportsnet.ca.

The new contract runs though the 2029-30 season, and validates what the Avalanche expected out of Blackwood in solidifying their goaltending upon acquiring the 28-year-old in a trade with San Jose on Dec. 9. Blackwood has gone 3-1 since the trade with a 2.03 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.

''When we acquired Mackenzie a few weeks ago, we wanted to let him get to Denver, get acclimated to his new team, new city and then in due time we'd reach out to him and his representatives,'' general manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement released by the team. ''As I said when we acquired him, we feel like Mackenzie has just gotten better and better every year and he has come in and done a great job with us in his first few starts. He's a big body, athletic goaltender who is still young and still growing as a goaltender.''

Blackwood shined in his Avalanche debut with 37 saves in a 5-2 win over Nashville, in becoming just fourth NHL goalie to stop at least that many shots in his first game with a franchise. He's yet to allow more than two goals in each of his four starts with Colorado, and improved his season record to 9-10-3.

Blackwood is completing the second year of a two-year contract, and is on his third NHL team after spending his first five seasons in New Jersey. The Devils' second-round pick in 2015, he was the second goalie chosen in that year's draft.

Overall, Blackwood has an 84-92-25 record with 11 shutouts and a 3.05 goals-against average in 219 career games.

The Avalanche have completely reshuffled their goaltending tandem by also acquiring Scott Wedgewood in a trade with Nashville on Nov. 30.

The two newcomers have provided stability in net for a team that was allowing 3.71 goals per outing through its first 24 games in opening the season with goalies Alexandar Georgiev and rookie Justus Annunen.

Georgiev was dealt to San Jose along with a 2026 second-round pick and rookie forward Nikolai Kovalenko in the trade to acquire Blackwood. Annunen was swapped in the trade with Nashville.

The Avalanche (21-15), who play at Utah on Friday, are 8-3 and allowing an average 2.45 goals in the month of December while making the jump from ninth to sixth in the Western Conference standings.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl