Blackwood Making Strong Analytical Case To Be Named to Team Canada

Once, a young Mackenzie Blackwood was projected to be Team Canada’s starting goaltender of the future.

Now, after a few years of adversity, that’s a possibility again for the San Jose Sharks’ standout.

Blackwood, however, doesn’t pay much attention to that narrative arc, from 2019 Calder Trophy candidate to the New Jersey Devils trading him to the Sharks in the summer of 2023 for just a sixth-round pick to career revival.

“Everybody writes stuff all the time, and if you read everything, you drive yourself nuts,” he said. “I try not to look into stuff too much and just take it in stride.”

There have been an abundance of legendary goaltenders who have stepped between the pipes for Team Canada over the years.

The days of clear-cut number-one Canadian goalies seem to be in the past though, as there’s no Carey Price or Patrick Roy equivalent ready to step into the role today.

February 2025’s 4 Nations Face-off in Boston and Montreal is rapidly approaching, and Blackwood should be on the shortlist, even if he’s not the favorite.

At the beginning of the season, Blackwood wasn’t getting recognized as a potential candidate.

But now, his .910 Save % as of Nov. 20 is second amongst Canadian goaltenders who have played at least 10 games. Only 37-year-old Cam Talbot and his .920 have been better.

Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill are favorites because they’re Stanley Cup winners, but neither is clearing an .890 Save % right now. 2024 Stanley Cup Final starter Stuart Skinner isn’t either.

Logan Thompson (.913) might be seen as an up-and-comer, but at 27, he’s the same age as Blackwood.

According to Evolving Hockey, Blackwood’s +5.51 Goals Saved Above Expected makes him a top-three Canadien netminder so far this year, trailing only Thompson (+6.66) and Talbot (+5.88).

So no doubt, Blackwood is at least making a strong case. Final rosters for Canada, USA, Finland, and Sweden will be unveiled on Dec. 4.

Not that Blackwood is going out of his way to make a statement to Canada.

“I don’t care,” he laughed. “It’d be cool to play in that, but you don’t think about it too much.”

That calm is part of what’s helped Blackwood find his game in San Jose, after a couple injury-plagued seasons in New Jersey.

So regardless of how Canada looks between the pipes, it doesn’t seem like Blackwood will let it affect him. Which is good news for the San Jose Sharks.