Things have not been easy for new San Jose Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.
After Cory Schneider faced injuries and struggled with consistency in New Jersey, Blackwood, 26, got his chance to show the Devils what he could do during the 2018-19 season. He played well in 23 games, going 10-10 with a 2.61 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Thanks to his fine play, he played even more the following season. In 47 games, he went 22-14-0-8 with a 2.77 goals-against average, a 915 save percentage, and three shutouts.
Following those two years, however, things began to unravel for Blackwood. He was often injured, and when he did play, he was not as good as he was in his first two and a half seasons in the league.
Due to Blackwood’s issues, the Devils went out and signed Vitek Vanecek prior to the start of last season. Vanecek played exceptionally well for the Devils, and then Akira Schmid was called up, and that put the writing on the wall for Blackwood.
In late June, Blackwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks and was then signed on July 1, the first day of free agency, to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $2.35 million. Blackwood will be paired with Kaapo Kahkonen this season in what will be another rebuilding year for the Sharks.
This is a big chance for Blackwood in a variety of ways. For starters, it gives him a chance to show that he can be a number one goaltender in the NHL again.
When Blackwood first started out and was healthy, he showed that he could play a lot of games and be consistent. In San Jose, Blackwood will be given every chance to do that.
Secondly, Blackwood is going to be given an opportunity to show that he can play at a high level. Blackwood will be playing behind a very weak defense and will more than likely be facing a lot of shots, so if he can show that he can excel behind a very weak hockey team, his future in the league will be all the better for it.
Lastly, this will give Blackwood a chance to show the Sharks that maybe he can be their goalie of the future. Remember, Blackwood is still a young goaltender and does not have a lot of mileage, so he should still have plenty of hockey left in him.
If Blackwood can get back to being the goaltender that he was when he first started out with the Devils, the Sharks can move forward knowing that at least they will be set in goal for not only the next few years but for maybe several after that.
