Mackenzie Blackwood re-signs with Devils on three-year deal

The New Jersey Devils have signed restricted free agent goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to a new three-year contract. The deal will pay the young netminder $1.475M in 2020-21, $2.8M in 2021-22 and $4.125M in 2022-23 for an average annual value of $2.8M. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald explained just what Blackwood means to the organization:

"Mackenzie is going to be one of the key young, core pieces for this organization for a long time and we are excited and extremely happy to have him under contract. He’s obviously shown that he can be a number one goalie, and the sky’s the limit for him."

The sky is the limit indeed. The 24-year-old Blackwood was selected 42nd overall in 2015 and has slowly but surely worked his way up the ladder to become a starting goaltender in the NHL. In 2018-19 he appeared in 23 games for the Devils, posting a .918 save percentage and going 10-10 on a dreadful team. Last season the Devils still struggled, but Blackwood was a bright light in the darkness, posting a .915 and a 22-14-8 record. Remember that New Jersey went 28-29-12 overall, meaning the team won only six games all year without Blackwood in the crease.

That kind of reliance might not be necessary this season as the Devils brought in Corey Crawford to serve as a tandem option during a shortened season. The 35-year-old Crawford is still an effective netminder and can help take some of the pressure off Blackwood this year, while still serving as a capable backup in a regular 82-game 2021-22 season.

New Jersey will be spending quite a bit on goaltending, even if it pales in comparison to places like Montreal and Florida who have spent big in recent years. Not only will Crawford carry a $3.9M hit and Blackwood this $2.8M, but the Devils will also still owe $2M to Cory Schneider in each of the next four seasons after his October buyout.

At any rate, this is Blackwood’s net to take for the next decade if he wants it. The Devils are trying to build the organization back up to compete with the other Metropolitan powerhouses, who each seem to have their own young goaltending star, and will need the Thunder Bay native to be a big part.