A few weeks ago, the San Jose Sharks traded netminder Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche. Today, the Avalanche announced a long-term extension with the former backstop of the San Jose Sharks. Blackwood got a five-year deal carrying a cap hit of $5.25 million per year for the next five years. San Jose moved him before reports of contract negotiations broke, so we may never know if the Sharks offered Blackwood an extension before he was sent to the Mile High City.
His risky extension in Colorado has raised a few questions, specifically regarding whether or not the Sharks balked at the idea of signing the netminder because his extension was too rich for the blood of the franchise. If that is the case, the sudden departure to Denver makes even more sense from the perspective of the Sharks, who netted several picks and Nikolai Kovalenko in the trade to make it happen.
San Jose took back Alexandar Georgiev's contact information in that deal, as his time in Denver had seen him stutter, earning the facetious nickname "Four-giev" from the Avalanche supporters. It's been quite a difficult season for him, while Blackwood has excelled throughout his time with both the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche. He'll be looking to continue his bounce back after struggling in the New Jersey Devils organization for many years.
Converting his success in teal into a nice payday elsewhere is one of the highlights of this rebuild. It's always tricky when you see your favorite team lose game after game, sometimes in embarrassing fashions as the Sharks have stretched the limits of our fandom, but seeing a player go to a better team and get rewarded with a significant deal is something we can all enjoy. Congratulations to one of the most likable players you'll ever meet on a new, expensive contract.