Oilers 2023-24 Trade Targets: Mackenzie Blackwood

One of the Oilers’ main concerns has been between the pipes. While Stuart Skinner has been strong and Calvin Pickard has bought the team some time to relax with his play rather than panic and overpay for a goalie that might not be the right fit. Blackwood has been excellent with the Sharks this season and is likely one of the only reasons the team has as many wins as they do. Even on a bad team, he stands out as the best player on the team and keeps his team in it. While the Sharks aren’t great and are usually outshot heavily, he has been their saving grace, so he will likely have plenty of trade value.

Blackwood would be exactly what the Oilers need, except he’d be a tough player to trade for because of their tight salary cap situation. Assuming they’re able to make it work though, they should be reaching out to the Sharks and seeing what it would take to bring him in. His ability to help teams win games isn’t something he’s been able to showcase this season but on an offensive powerhouse like the Oilers, he might begin to look like an elite-level goaltender.

Who Is Mackenzie Blackwood & Is He An Upgrade?

Blackwood is a 27-year-old goaltender from Thunder Bay, Ontario currently playing with the Sharks. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in the second round at 42nd overall after a strong season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Barrie Colts. In his draft year, he posted a 3.09 goals-against average (GAA) and a .906 save percentage (SV%) through 51 games. He returned to the Colts the following season and put up a much better stat line posting a 2.72 GAA and a .921 SV% through 43 games.

In the 2015-16 season, Blackwood also had the chance to represent his home country of Canada where he posted a 3.95 GAA and a .859 SV% through three games at the U20 World Junior Championship. He earned his first taste of professional action in the 2016-17 season when he played in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Albany Devils. In 36 games in the AHL that season, he posted a 2.55 GAA and a .907 SV%.

Blackwood never got a shot in the NHL until the 2018-19 season where he posted a 2.61 GAA and a .918 SV% through his first 23 games and split the full season between the NHL and AHL, but had saved his spot full-time in the NHL the following season. He played 152 games with the Devils before they traded him to the Sharks. Over his entire career split between the two, he has played a total of 175 games and posted a 3.09 GAA and a .903 SV%.

This season, Blackwood has posted a 3.92 GAA with a .889 SV% through 23 games. While his stats compared to the Oilers’ current goaltending tandem aren’t quite as good, he has been posting average numbers on the worst team in the NHL. Now, the Oilers don’t have the best defensive team in the league by any means but under their new assistant coach Paul Coffey, the team has slowly been improving their play in their own end. If Blackwood were to join a much better defensive team, I think his stats would jump immensely and he’d be able to solidify himself as an elite goaltender.

Bringing in Blackwood will be the hardest part. He has a $2.35 million cap hit which the Oilers can’t afford without moving some money out. Luckily, there are several players including Cody Ceci and Warren Foegele who the Sharks may show interest in and could make the money work on both sides. Either way, while it won’t be easy to make work, the Oilers should at least try.

What’s Next For The Oilers?

Regardless of what they do next, the Oilers have to continue putting all of their focus on winning games and moving their way up the Pacific Division standings. They battle the Philadelphia Flyers tonight in what should be a strong test for the team, but eventually, they’ll have to decide if they want to go all-in and acquire a goalie, or be left upset when this current roster isn’t able to bring the franchise their first Stanley Cup since 1990.