Headlines

  • Changes To LTIR Will Take Effect For 2025-26, Other CBA Changes Moved Up
  • Maple Leafs Sign Dennis Hildeby To Three-Year Deal
  • Devils, Luke Hughes At An Impasse Regarding Contract Length
  • Seeking Writers For Pro Hockey Rumors
  • Wild Could Reach $16MM Per Year On Kirill Kaprizov Extension
  • Matthew Caldwell, Shawn Thornton Leave Panthers For NBA
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mackenzie Blackwood Still Expected To Play Before Season Ends

April 21, 2022 at 12:56 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The New Jersey Devils need a goalie. The team has received an .883 save percentage this season, better than only the Seattle Kraken’s .881. Currently, they’re rolling with a tandem of Andrew Hammond and Jon Gillies that have 94 NHL games between them, despite being 34 and 28 years old respectively. Earlier this month, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet put it clearly on the 32 Thoughts podcast:

They’re going to have to find a goalie. They’re really going to have to find a goalie. What the Devils are selling to their fans, and some of their players, and they’ve said it publicly to the media is: ’our underlying numbers say we’re a better team. We just can’t stop the puck.’ Well you can’t keep coming with that narrative. 

Friedman goes on to note that Mackenzie Blackwood’s injuries this season have been an important part of the disappointing season that has taken place. The young netminder was on Team Canada’s long list for the Olympics at the start of the season and looked like the obvious choice long-term in the Devils’ net. The Sportsnet insider goes on to explain that maybe it is time for a fresh start somewhere else, though that would certainly not solve the issues in New Jersey moving forward.

That’s what makes the last few games of the season so interesting for the Devils, and Blackwood in particular. Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters including Mike Morreale of NHL.com again today that the plan is still to get Blackwood back into a few games before the end of the year. New Jersey has just six games left including tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, and has Blackwood still listed as day-to-day, though he did appear at the optional morning skate today.

Is there a chance that the Blackwood-Jonathan Bernier tandem return for 2022-23? Sure, as they are both signed through next season before being scheduled for free agency in the summer (RFA status for the former). But there will also be a strong desire to take a big step forward for the Devils next season, given how well some players have performed. Jesper Bratt recorded his 70th point of the season a few days ago, Nico Hischier has a career-high with 58 points, and Jack Hughes (when healthy) has looked every bit the first-overall pick. The team can’t be let down by bad goaltending again, not while they’re investing so much into free agents like Dougie Hamilton to try and contend for the playoffs.

While both Nico Daws and Akira Schmid saw NHL action and look like promising prospects, it’s hard to trust a pair of 21-year-olds who recorded .893 and .833 save percentages. Gillies and Hammond haven’t done much better, and are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year.

So while games at the end of a bad season rarely mean much of anything, Blackwood’s return would be significant.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

Lindy Ruff| New Jersey Devils MacKenzie Blackwood

New York Islanders Sign William Dufour
Main
Nashville Predators Reassign Cody Glass To AHL
View Comments (2)

Comments

  1. SpeakOfTheDevils

    3 years ago

    Thats definitely not the only problem we’ve had this year
    Also Blackwood is not the guy who will help us, he’s proven that he is not the guy, he’s barely a 1B when healthy, i look forward to trading him and bringing somebody better in then bolstering our defense since Subban wont be back next year

    Reply
  2. uvmfiji

    3 years ago

    Keith Kinkaid needs Andrew Hammond’s agent.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Changes To LTIR Will Take Effect For 2025-26, Other CBA Changes Moved Up

    Maple Leafs Sign Dennis Hildeby To Three-Year Deal

    Devils, Luke Hughes At An Impasse Regarding Contract Length

    Seeking Writers For Pro Hockey Rumors

    Wild Could Reach $16MM Per Year On Kirill Kaprizov Extension

    Matthew Caldwell, Shawn Thornton Leave Panthers For NBA

    NCAA Grants Eligibility To Two Former Pros

    Flames Seem Set To Trade Rasmus Andersson, Per Teammate

    Jets’ Adam Lowry Underwent Hip Surgery, Out 5-6 Months

    Bill Daly Talks Schedule Changes, CBA Talks And Effectiveness

    Recent

    Senators Re-Sign Donovan Sebrango

    Brandon Yip Announces Retirement

    Evening Notes: Laine, Salary Cap, 84-Game Schedule

    Carey Price Trade Not A Necessity For Canadiens

    PHR Live Chat Transcript: 9/3/25

    Ducks, Rodwin Dionicio To Terminate Contract

    Joe Pavelski, Scott Gomez, Zach Parise Named To U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame

    Examining Likely Candidates For The New CHL/AHL Exception

    Maple Leafs, Anthony Stolarz Holding Extension Talks

    What Will The Islanders Be This Season?

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
    • Key Offseason Dates
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version