Mackenzie Blackwood Injury Update
Mackenzie Blackwood won’t be suiting up for the Avalanche’s opening night against the Kings, and honestly, it stings a little if you’re a fan who had hoped the new season would start smoothly in net. The guy was out there Monday, taking shots, looked pretty okay during full group practice, but it’s one of those classic “close, but not quite ready” deals; Blackwood is staying in Colorado instead of hitting the road to LA.
When news broke that he wouldn’t travel, I had flashbacks of last season when the team seemed cursed with goalie health drama. Chase(@ChasinPucks) shared on Twitter that Wedgewood will take the starting role for Mackenzie Blackwood, who is still recovering from an offseason lower-body injury (LBI).
Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) reported on Twitter that Mackenzie Blackwood will not be traveling to Los Angeles with the team tomorrow.
You see this tough, determined 28-year-old, his stats from last year with the Sharks and Avs were solid: 28 wins, 21 losses, 6 OT, .912 save percentage, and a 2.55 GAA (which is nothing to sneeze at). But with a lower-body injury in tow, he’ll be watching Scott Wedgewood take the first crack in net, which probably wasn’t in the script when the Avalanche mapped out their preseason plans. The coaching staff’s got a bit of a roster puzzle on their hands, too.
By 3 p.m. MT, they need to settle the goalie situation: Do they keep Blackwood on the 23-man roster and run with three goalies (which means backup Trent Miner tags along)? If so, Keaton Middleton’s headed to the AHL waivers cleared and all. Middleton didn’t make practice, which, in sports lingo, is kind of the writing on the wall. And while we’re on roster quirks, I couldn’t help smirking at how Ilya Solovyov nabbed the No. 7 defense spot, and Gavin Brindley actually made the team a genuine turnover in the lineup as crunch-time approaches.
There’s always something endearingly unpredictable about hockey season openers: depth chart ballet, last-minute medical updates, the silent hope your main goalie gets the “all clear” soon so the crew can settle in. With Blackwood likely to take the bulk of starts once he’s ready, all eyes this week will be on how long fans are waiting for that return. Everyone loves a comeback, especially when the season’s just getting underway and optimism’s high. The Avs have to hustle with the paperwork and cross their fingers that those injury blues don’t linger. For now, Colorado’s net is up for grabs, and honestly, that’s just another day in NHL chaos.
