Mackenzie Blackwood signed a five-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
Financial terms were not disclosed regarding the contract, which begins next season.
The 28-year-old goalie, who could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season, is 4-1-0 with a 1.82 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in five starts with the Avalanche after being acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9. Colorado also received forward Givani Smith and a fifth-round draft pick in the 2027 NHL Draft with goalie Alexandar Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2026 second-round pick heading to San Jose.
Blackwood made 34 saves in the Avalanche's 4-1 win at the Utah Hockey Club on Friday.
"I'm pretty excited about that," Blackwood said. "When I found out they were offering me a contract around Christmastime … we hashed it out pretty quickly, and I'm very excited to be here.
"Take a look around the room. There's a lot of players that are really good. It's a good culture. It's a good organization. Welcomed me very quickly, and it's a first-class organization. So, I just thought it's a great opportunity for me. I'm happy to play here, and everything just worked out well."
Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the second round (No. 42) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Blackwood is 85-92-25 with a 3.03 GAA, .905 save percentage and 11 shutouts in 220 games through eight seasons with the Devils, Sharks and Avalanche.
He's 10-10-3 with a 2.73 GAA, .916 save percentage and one shutout in 24 games (22 starts) with San Jose and Colorado this season.
"When we acquired Mackenzie a few weeks ago, we wanted to let him get to Denver, get acclimated to his new team, new city and then in due time we’d reach out to him and his representatives," Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said. "We are thrilled to get this deal done now and have Mackenzie under contract for the next six years.
"As I said when we acquired him, we feel like Mackenzie has just gotten better and better every year and he has come in and done a great job with us in his first few starts. He's a big body, athletic goaltender who is still young and still growing as a goaltender. Stylistically, he has fit really well with how we play and has been a perfect fit in our dressing room as well."
Colorado has revamped their goaltending, having also acquired Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators on Nov. 30 for Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
"He's come in, and in a short period of time, and [has been] as advertised. Kind of solidifies our group, and it's nice to know that he's going to be around and that our future and that's locked in with him and now Wedgewood for next year and Blackwood beyond that," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "So I think our guys are excited. He's excited to be here. He's played well since he's been here. Helped sort of turn things around for us. So well deserved, and real excited for him."
The Avalanche (22-15-0) are third in the Central Division, seven points behind the first-place Winnipeg Jets.
NHL.com independent correspondent Ryan Boulding contributed to this report
