The Avalanche have been having one of the best seasons in NHL memory, with only two regulation losses through their first 40 games. an NHL record.
Colorado's roster is loaded with super star star names like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, and Brock Nelson, with MacKinnon and Makar having career years this season. One of the more surprising contributing factors to the Avs' success this season, however, has been Scott Wedgewood. Wedgewood, now on his fifth team is posting the best numbers of his career while having to practically step into the starters' role in net.
The Avalanche traded for the veteran netminder last year when their rotation of Alexander Georgiev and Justus Annunen played poorly enough that Colorado's management decided there needed to be a change in December of 2024. Wedgewood, acquired from the Nashville Predators, appeared in 19 games for the Avalanche, posting a career low 1.99 GAA with a career high record of 13-4-1 in his starts.
Coming into the season, Wedgewood was playing on the last year of a two year three million dollar contract. However, with Mackenzie Blackwood taking longer to recover from an offseason injury, Wedgewood found himself thrust into the starters net for much of the first half of the season. The Avs front office rewarded him with a one year, two and a half million dollar contract extension in November, keeping him with the team through 2026-27 as they continue their best season in recent memory.
Now, with Blacwood back on IR, Wedgewood is back as the Avalanche's top netminder.
Wedgewood has started in 25 games so far this season, with an 18-1-4 record behind a 2.17 GAA and .918 sv %. He's posting some of the best numbers of his career, with two more wins this year than he's ever had in a single season. He's also on track to start more games in a season than even his 2023-24 campaign with the Dallas Stars, when he started in 28 games with a 16-7-5 record.