The Colorado Avalanche face a fascinating offseason after a dominant regular season but yet another postseason failure. This week, The Denver Post will take an in-depth, position-by-position look at where the Avs stand, and what the near-term future looks like as this core group of players chases an elusive second championship.
The goaltending position is a near-perfect reflection of where the Colorado Avalanche stand heading into the summer of 2026.
Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood combined for one of the best regular-season performances in franchise history, winning the William Jennings Trophy for yielding the fewest goals in the NHL. “The Lumberyard” combined for a solid showing in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but by the end of the Western Conference Final, there were questions about whether the duo can get the Avs where they ultimately want to go.
“They’re in a good spot,” Cory Schneider, a former NHL goaltender, teammate of both Avs netminders and analyst for NHL Network and MSG Networks, told The Denver Post. “You can sit there and blame the goaltending. It was one of a few reasons (they lost), but I don’t think it was the reason. They’re a team built to survive with good enough goaltending, kind of like in ’22 when they won with (Darcy) Kuemper and (Pavel) Francouz.
“I think most teams would be pretty envious of those two. If you went around the league and asked you trade your two for our two, I think most teams would take those guys.”
What just happened
Wedgewood led the league in save percentage, goals against average and finished fifth in Vezina Trophy voting. The 32-year-old career backup was one of the great stories in the NHL this season, smashing career bests in every statistical category.
Since arriving first, 10 days ahead of Blackwood during the 2024-25 season, Wedgewood quickly integrated with the Avs’ leadership core and became a fan favorite. Whether it was his style of play, underdog story or immersion into some of the club’s key theme nights, “Wedge-ie” chants became synonymous with his rise to opening the playoffs as the starter.
His play in the first round was near flawless, but he was replaced by Blackwood in each of the next two rounds.
“Scott had an amazing season and did everything you could ask of him,” Schneider said. “Itap not a knock to say he just bumped into his ceiling a little bit. You need a good 1B and a guy like Scott. But I think when the chips are on the table, Mackenzie has got to become the guy who is going to carry you there.”
Blackwood had an up-and-down year. It started late because of an offseason surgery, and that in part allowed Wedgewood to kick off his career-best season. When Blackwood’s season did begin, he roared to a 13-1-1 start and ultimately was the first alternate for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano, Italy.
The middle of his campaign was undone by another injury. His play slipped after his return: 5-7 with an .880 save percentage across 14 games between Jan. 16 and March 16.
He watched while Wedgewood started the first seven postseason games. He had two great starts, including Game 4 against Vegas, but also one that he didn’t finish.
“Itap freaking hard not to play for so long and come into a big game,” Blackwood said after the Game 4 loss. “But you know, I just said, ‘(expletive) it and go play the best I can and give them the best chance to win and just battle.’ ”
Down a level, Trent Miner had a similar end to Wedgewood — great start to a postseason run, but the guy at the other end of the ice outplayed him in Games 6 and 7 of the AHL conference finals. Miner, 25, collected his first NHL win and a really nice year as the club’s No. 3 goalie, but will also face stiff competition to keep that place next season.
What’s next
The Avs haven’t been this stable, up and down the depth chart, in net in a long time.
Blackwood has four years remaining on his contract and currently has the 22nd-highest cap hit for the 2026-27 season at $5.25 million. Wedgewood is signed for another year at $2.5 million. There are eight goalies slated to make more than the Jennings Trophy-winning duo combined.
Still, Blackwood turns 30 in December. It’s going to be a massive year for him.
“I think Mackenzie really has to establish himself as the guy,” Schneider said. “He’s got so much talent, so much upside. But he’s starting to get older, and then itap not upside anymore, itap unrealized potential. When he’s healthy and confident, he can be an elite goaltender.
“He’s got to prove that he can be healthy and have his head on straight for an entire year. That is going to be his challenge. I think he can rise to it, but you kind of don’t know until he does it.”
Colorado has four more goaltenders under contract for next season. The headliner is Ilya Nabokov, the club’s top pick in the 2024 NHL draft and top prospect, regardless of position. The 23-year-old joined the Colorado Eagles at the end of his KHL season, but has yet to play in a North American game.
Nabokov is a wild card. He was great in the KHL for two years, though his numbers dipped this past season. Can he unseat Miner as the Eagles’ No. 1, or even challenge Wedgewood? The latter might be a stretch, but what impact he makes next year could alter the course of the depth chart behind Blackwood in 2027 and beyond.
“Goaltending was not an issue all year,” Avs president and general manager Joe Sakic said. “I like the way that it was operated. They both played well, and we expect, to be honest, I expect them to get a little bit even better next year and a little stronger. You go to Blackwood, and he had a tough start last year (with) injuries. It’s hard for goaltenders to miss all the training camp, basically, and get back and try and get in a rhythm.
“He’s 100%. He was 100% down the stretch. He’s got a whole summer to get ready and focus.”
Future depth chart
| 2026-27 | 2027-28 |
|---|---|
| Mackenzie Blackwood | Mackenzie Blackwood |
| Scott Wedgewood* | Ilya Nabokov |
| Trent Miner* | Isak Posch |
| Ilya Nabokov+ | Nikita Novosyolov |
| Isak Posch+ | |
| Nikita Novosyolov |
* Unrestricted free agent in 2027; + Restricted free agent in 2027
