For as long as many Devils’ fans can remember, goaltending was the backbone of the team. There was a variety of goalies that donned the New Jersey Devils’ crest, but one man stood alone: Martin Brodeur.
The winningest goalie in all of hockey, while also capturing three Stanley Cups for the franchise. Blessed is an understatement. Upon his departure and retirement, filling those shoes has been quite difficult. Enter Mackenzie Blackwood.
You could make the argument for Cory Schneider, but a few seasons ago the optimism was set in for a young fun. Aside from that, Blackwood was destined to be the man, but that has not gone as planned.
The Road So Far
Mackenzie Blackwood was the top ranked North American goaltender in the 2015 NHL Draft. In addition to that, the Devils selected him in the second round of that draft. He officially joined the big club during the 2018-19 season.
When Blackwood first stepped into the blue paint, it looked promising. His first two seasons alone, he posted save percentages of .918 (2018-19) and .915 (2019-20). Devils’ fans jumped for joy, but the next two seasons were ugly. His save percentages dipped to .902 (2020-21) and .892 (2021-22), respectively. The promise that was shown got quickly erased.
One telling sign to display how he performed is his goals saved above expected figures (GSAx). This statistic isolates Blackwood’s play from the performance of his team. Here is how it stacks up the past four seasons, per Natural Stat Trick:
- 2018-19: -0.44
- 2019-20: -5.01
- 2020-21: -13.98
- 2021-22: -17.35
Aside from his so-so years in 2018 and 2019, it has been ugly. To make matters worse, this season hasn’t been too kind to him either. He is rocking a .888 save percentage and a -2.19 GSAx.
To make matters more difficult, upon season’s conclusion, he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA). What should the plan be with Blackwood going forward?
The Plan
With the goaltending carousel that transpired last year, general manager Tom Fitzgerald made moves. At the draft, he acquired Vitek Vanecek from the Washington Capitals.
Vanecek has been a rock in the net and is the clear-cut starter for this team. The new netminder has a .911 save percentage and a 4.09 GSAx. He is locked in for three years, and the present and future is clear. But what does this mean for Blackwood and what are the teams options?
Qualify An Offer
In the end, the Devils could opt to keep him. With him being an RFA, he is not free to just sign with anyone. The Devils have the first dibs on making an offer. If they truly believe in him and think he can turn things around, then having a young tandem of him and Vancek is realistic.
Is it efficient based off what Blackwood has shown so far? You can see the answer to that.
Trade him
An option that makes sense for the club is to trade him. Due to his subpar play and inconsistency in the net, moving on from him entirely is an option.
Blackwood is still young and a change of scenery could benefit him further. The reason the Devils could move on is with what they have in the pipeline. Mainly Akira Schmid, who has been sensational this year.
Schmid was not very good last year in the NHL, but he put that year behind him fast. His sample size this season is small, but with New Jersey he has been terrific. This apparent by his .932 save percentage and a 5.97 GSAx (best on the team).
Those numbers are huge improvements from a season ago. With this type of play he showed the Devils he is capable of sharing the net with Vanecek. He is also a cheaper option with more control time.
Final Thoughts
New Jersey Devils’ goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood could very well be playing his final year with the club. With the team holding cheaper options and reliable backups, he becomes expendable. This especially since his play, outside a few different stretches, has been inconsistent and below league average.
Unless he has a stronger second half to the season, in the off-season, or perhaps later this season, it’ll be interesting to see how the Devils’ approach their once potential franchise goaltender.