The Colorado Avalanche had the best goaltending tandem in the league. That isn't just an opinion, either, as the pair backstopping the Avalanche all the way to the Western Conference Final, the 'lumber yard' won the William H. Jennings Trophy, awarded to the best pair of goaltenders to play 25+ games each in the season.
However, the way they got there wasn't at all intended. Their supposed top netminder going into the season, Mackenzie Blackwood, spent much of the past season in and out of the lineup with injury, though in his 36 starts, the 29 year old went 23-10-2 with a .904 sv%. Blackwood was signed to a give year, 5.25 million dollar AAV contract last year after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks in December 2025.
The goalie who actually got the majority of the starts this year, including for the Avs' playoff run, was Scott Wedgewood. Acquired from Nashville last year after trading former backup Justus Annunen, his 31 wins this season represent a third of his career total. In a career-high 43 regular season starts, Wedgewood was 31-6-6 and had a .921 sv%.
Blackwood, signed to a much higher dollar value contract, could be seen to have underperformed given his contract. With the Avs still brushing against the salary cap even after trading Ross Colton, interim general manager Joe Sakic may be incentivized to weigh his options in net. Given the stable of prospect goalies in Colorado and beyond, the Avs may look to trim the fat and recoup some value by trading Blackwood.