The Colorado Avalanche have acted swiftly not long after acquiring goaltending help from the San Jose Sharks earlier this month. They sent struggling starter Alexandar Georgiev to the Sharks in exchange for Mackenzie Blackwood, and they've announced today after days of speculation that he's under contract for the foreseeable future.

The Avalanche have re-signed Blackwood to a five-year contract, which will begin in the 2025-26 NHL season and run through 2029-30. And according to Avalanche management, they initially allowed Blackwood to get used to his new situation before approaching him with an extension offer, via NHL.com.

“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,” said Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland. “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.”

Blackwood and the Avalanche are back in action on Friday night at Salt Lake City's Delta Center against the host Utah Hockey Club.

Avalanche hope Mackenzie Blackwood will solve goaltending issues

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) before the start of the third period against the Seattle Kraken at Ball Arena.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Related Colorado Avalanche NewsArticle continues below
Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91) against the Dallas Stars during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Flames’ Nazem Kadri takes subtle Mikko Rantanen shot at Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson. All with Avalanche
3 early predictions for Avalanche offseason after Stars series loss
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) hugs Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) after the Stars defeats the Avalanche in game seven of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.
Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon to play for Team Canada after heartbreaking Game 7 loss

Blackwood, who got his start in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, was open to re-signing with the Sharks before he was traded to the Avalanche.

“Yeah, for sure. I mean, if they wanted to do something like that at the time, I would have been open to it, but I don’t think they’re in the same place as me and my career. So just kind of the way things work out,” Blackwood said, via San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng.

Blackwood also singled out his affection for Sharks GM Mike Grier for giving him an opportunity as a starter with San Jose despite his past injury troubles.

“It was a great opportunity. I obviously owe Griersy (Sharks GM Mike Grier) a lot of credit for that. He was with me in New Jersey. I went through a lot of injury troubles,” he said. “When I got healthy, he believed in me, dropped me in and gave me a chance to play. I got myself turned around, got my game back on track.”

Since joining the Avalanche, Blackwood has gone 3-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average.