Confirmed with Link: Blackwood to SJ for 2023 6th Rd Pick

[FinnishDevil]

One thing that always worried me about Mac was that I never trusted him not to absolutely shit the bed under pressure. And I dont mean his skillset, but more so his head. Sometimes you get that feeling about goalies, that theyre not gonna perform in the high pressure moment like the playoffs. I felt that way about him ever since WJC when I thought he was the weakest link in a stacked Canada squad that lost to Finland in quarters. Mac let in 6 goals and atleast two of those were super soft and basically gave Finns the edge and got the home arena into it.

Having said that, I have nothing against him really. I hope he can bounce back and stay healthy whether its in SJ or elsewhere.

 

[My3Sons]

Yes, his first 70 games were a .916% and maybe even a little higher if you include his first 5 games of 20-21 over a 75 game stretch, but we've seen bad goalies have that many games worth of excellent play in the NHL.

I can probably think of a better example than this if I try really hard, but the best I can do half-assing it right now is Jose Theodore.

Theodore wasn't a BAD goalie before the Hart Trophy/Vezina win. He became pretty bad after the 2005 lockout when he was 29 years old, but had a couple of years later in his career. Mostly bad though. He wasn't bad prior to that, but was mostly anywhere from average-ish to solid and the 01-02 season got him both the Vezina and Hart.

He had 67 games of .931% in 01-02, which was extremely rare for goalies not named Hasek back then. The years on either end of that year were just okay years.

Theodore way overachieved that year (and I think we're gonna see that Ullmark overachieved this past year, but he didn't play a super high number of games) and I think Blackwood overachieved in those 70-something games over 2 seasons. Like I said, his AHL career was extremely suspect before he made his NHL debut.

I'm sure when he was first drafted or even first turned pro, the talent was there, but that doesn't always hold up down the line.

I think he has way too many holes and the best I can see him is having an up season at some point in the NHL again or maybe quite possibly a couple, but I think they'll be isolated and not in back to back years again.

He lets in too many shots high for a goalie of his massive girth. Shots that go over the shoulders of Aaron Dell, Alex Stalock and Nedeljkovic that usually hit a goalie his size, are also going past him.

His inability to look through screens is also terrible. All you need is the most miniscule of screens or a bunch of scattered clouds and points shots can easily get past him. Shots coming at him when there's a guy at his side, go in as if the guy's ass was all up in his grill on many of the goalies in the league.

I don't disagree with anything you've said. It's just that in theory the positioning and screen problems could be coached. Will he do it? At this point I'm skeptical and will SJ make any effort with him? That might depend upon how long a deal he signs with them. In the alternative universe where he stays healthy and plays for a team with really good goalie coaching and isn't rushed into the league I'd be curious how he turned out.

 

[Bleedred]

I don't disagree with anything you've said. It's just that in theory the positioning and screen problems could be coached. Will he do it? At this point I'm skeptical and will SJ make any effort with him? That might depend upon how long a deal he signs with them. In the alternative universe where he stays healthy and plays for a team with really good goalie coaching and isn't rushed into the league I'd be curious how he turned out.

I doubt he'll look good in San Jose next year.

I'm not sure if he's played for a team that bad, though the 18-19 and 19-20 Devils teams were pretty bad. It was probably pretty close.

But I would expect some pain for him over there, but we just saw Korpisalo, a normally and historically BAD goalie at the NHL level have a pretty solid year behind a bad team, where the other goalies (like Elvis, who has outplayed him every other year behind the same exact team) played pretty astronomically bad.

Sometimes bad goalies have good years and sometimes it happens even on bad teams.

But if he thinks the 21-22 Devils were a really bad team, he ain't seen nothing yet. He's gonna find that out this fall.

Kahkonen just had almost an astronomically bad season there. He was really never any good and Minnesota made him look much better than he really is, just like Dubnyk for years and years, just like Stalock for a few years, a past his prime Cam Talbot for several years, and probably just like Fleury, who looked average there this year, but is likely very decayed at this point in his career.

Reimer had a poor season last year, but that's to be expected every other year from him. That's why Reimer could never cut it in this league as a starting goalie or keep a starting job for long. Because he's rarely had consecutive good years.

 

[My3Sons]

I doubt he'll look good in San Jose next year.

I'm not sure if he's played for a team that bad, though the 18-19 and 19-20 Devils teams were pretty bad. It was probably pretty close.

But I would expect some pain for him over there, but we just saw Korpisalo, a normally and historically BAD goalie at the NHL level have a pretty solid year behind a bad team, where the other goalies (like Elvis, who has outplayed him every other year behind the same exact team) played pretty astronomically bad.

Sometimes bad goalies have good years and sometimes it happens even on bad teams.

But if he thinks the 21-22 Devils were a really bad team, he ain't seen nothing yet. He's gonna find that out this fall.

Kahkonen just had almost an astronomically bad season there. He was really never any good and Minnesota made him look much better than he really is, just like Dubnyk for years and years, just like Stalock for a few years and probably just like Fleury, who looked average there this year, but is likely very decayed at this point in his career.

Reimer had a poor season last year, but that's to be expected every other year from him. That's why Reimer could never cut it in this league as a starting goalie or get a starting job for long. Because he's rarely had consecutive good years.

Part of me was hoping NJ would bring back Blackwood as the veteran stopgap depth guy on a $1 mil one year deal. I'm going to have to come up with something else to give you a hard time about.

 

[Bleedred]

Part of me was hoping NJ would bring back Blackwood as the veteran stopgap depth guy on a $1 mil one year deal. I'm going to have to come up with something else to give you a hard time about.

My guess is that we sign one of those third string guys like Hutchinson, Kinkaid (lol), or one of those guys. Some of them are career third stringers and some of them were once NHL regulars, but have since washed out of the league.

Can't really think of many of the other options off the top of my head. You just know that some (DUMB) team is gonna sign Alex Lyon to play for their NHL team because of his 15 good games (or whatever it was) last year for Florida when Spencer Knight/Bob were out.

Especially with Daws being out for the start of the season, from what I understand.

I could see someone like Kinkaid being signed for the AHL/NHL call up if one of our guys goes down. I actually wouldn't be surprised if it actually was Keith Kinkaid or maybe Lou signs him to replace Schneider (did Schneider re-sign?) in Bridgeport.

I'm pretty sure if Brian Elliott or Halak aren't signed with the purpose of playing for an NHL squad, they'll either retire or potentially off to Europe to end his career for Halak.

 

[My3Sons]

My guess is that we sign one of those third string guys like Hutchinson, Kinkaid (lol), or one of those guys. Some of them are career third stringers and some of them were once NHL regulars, but have since washed out of the league.

Can't really think of many of the other options off the top of my head. You just know that some (DUMB) team is gonna sign Alex Lyon to play for their NHL team because of his 15 good games (or whatever it was) last year for Florida when Spencer Knight/Bob were out.

Especially with Daws being out for the start of the season, from what I understand.

I could see someone like Kinkaid being signed for the AHL/NHL call up if one of our guys goes down. I actually wouldn't be surprised if it actually was Keith Kinkaid or maybe Lou signs him to replace Schneider (did Schneider re-sign?) in Bridgeport.

If I was Fitz I'd trade for another goalie prospect rather than go the route of the washed up veteran. Get a guy with some waivers left who is not great and maybe pans out as a career backup if NJ is lucky but can go up and down to Utica and not get in the way for one season. He's just a placeholder until Daws returns and should help Utica more than NJ sent a disaster. It's not like a Kinkaid or other retread could be counted on for a playoffs run. Just my thought.

 

[Nubmer6]

If I was Fitz I'd trade for another goalie prospect rather than go the route of the washed up veteran. Get a guy with some waivers left who is not great and maybe pans out as a career backup if NJ is lucky but can go up and down to Utica and not get in the way for one season. He's just a placeholder until Daws returns and should help Utica more than NJ sent a disaster. It's not like a Kinkaid or other retread could be counted on for a playoffs run. Just my thought.

I'd go for a vet that has NHL experience and can mentor our goalies down in Utica.

 

[glenwo2]

My guess is that we sign one of those third string guys like Hutchinson, Kinkaid (lol), or one of those guys. Some of them are career third stringers and some of them were once NHL regulars, but have since washed out of the league.

Can't really think of many of the other options off the top of my head. You just know that some (DUMB) team is gonna sign Alex Lyon to play for their NHL team because of his 15 good games (or whatever it was) last year for Florida when Spencer Knight/Bob were out.

Especially with Daws being out for the start of the season, from what I understand.

I could see someone like Kinkaid being signed for the AHL/NHL call up if one of our guys goes down. I actually wouldn't be surprised if it actually was Keith Kinkaid or maybe Lou signs him to replace Schneider (did Schneider re-sign?) in Bridgeport.

I'm pretty sure if Brian Elliott or Halak aren't signed with the purpose of playing for an NHL squad, they'll either retire or potentially off to Europe to end his career for Halak.

If we bring back Kinkaid,

I will bring back Snoop :

And I'll start tweeting at Keith so he can burn me again.

 

[My3Sons]

I'd go for a vet that has NHL experience and can mentor our goalies down in Utica.

What goalies down in Utica? Daws is out for most of the season and Schmid is likely with NJ all season short of a meltdown.

 

[Maine Fan]

We are spending too much time discussing Blackwood. Blackwood was hoping for the standard pay increase for his outstanding play for NJ....but..

BREAKING: Sharks Acquire Blackwood, Sustr

Not that I care. Just sharing info.
Let's stop, myself included, giving him so much press time.

Have a nice day.

 

[Nubmer6]

What goalies down in Utica? Daws is out for most of the season and Schmid is likely with NJ all season short of a meltdown.

Brennan has a lot of potential, plus Daws when he comes back.

 

[Billdo]

I'd go for a vet that has NHL experience and can mentor our goalies down in Utica.

Yeah, they'll have those kind of guys available and the job itself will be rather enticing to a guy like that as we'll he relying on Schmid to not regress and have little in Utica with Daws' injury. That vet would be a bad month or an injury away from being a NHL backup.

 

[Bleedred]

I'd go for a vet that has NHL experience and can mentor our goalies down in Utica.

The best ones available may actually be Michael Hutchinson or Keith Kinkaid lol.

Unless there's some other guy that will be reduced to that this offseason, that's how NHL jobs full time before this year.

Hutchinson is pretty terrible at the NHL level. Kinkaid has been fine in very isolated and sporadic work over the last few years.

I honestly wouldn't mind Kinkaid back. I don't want Kinkaid on the NHL squad all year or have to play too many games, but there's really not better third string options than him, other than prospects. As far as veterans go, I don't think we're gonna do much better than him or Hutchinson.

 

[brule2000]

he's an RFA, isn't he? i'm assuming they'll qualify and use, so i figured maybe we'd get more. but injuries and his QO make it understandable

AHL depth would've been cool in addition to the 6th, i mean god damn we gave em a nice mukhamadullin

I remember reports that Mukhamadullin was a late add in to finish the Meier trade when an injury to a player in the initial trade meant he had to be removed. Looking at the injuries to Devils players and prospects at the time of the trade it seemed likely to me that that original player could be Mac Black. With Grier picking him up a few months later that seems even more probable. If so that must be another big dissapointment around Blackwood for Fitz because we know he absolutely loves the potential Mukhamadullin shows.

 

[Brodeur]

I remember reports that Mukhamadullin was a late add in to finish the Meier trade when an injury to a player in the initial trade meant he had to be removed. Looking at the injuries to Devils players and prospects at the time of the trade it seemed likely to me that that original player could be Mac Black. With Grier picking him up a few months later that seems even more probable. If so that must be another big dissapointment around Blackwood for Fitz because we know he absolutely loves the potential Mukhamadullin shows.

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I thought it was an injury to the one of the warm bodies that San Jose was sending back? I had assumed it was Max Veronneau who last played in the AHL on February 24th and missed the rest of the season. The trade was announced on February 26th. San Jose gave him a relatively expensive contract to lure him back from Europe and he was making 325K in the AHL last season, so the Sharks probably would have liked to have saved some money. Maybe Scott Harrington was the late add (350K in the AHL) instead of Veronneau?

And maybe in theory, Veronneau would have replaced Johnsson's spot in Utica as they were still fighting for a playoff spot.

 

[Blackjack]

I remember reports that Mukhamadullin was a late add in to finish the Meier trade when an injury to a player in the initial trade meant he had to be removed. Looking at the injuries to Devils players and prospects at the time of the trade it seemed likely to me that that original player could be Mac Black. With Grier picking him up a few months later that seems even more probable. If so that must be another big dissapointment around Blackwood for Fitz because we know he absolutely loves the potential Mukhamadullin shows.

There’s no way Muk was a substitute for Blackwood. First off, why would NJ trade their third string goalie when they were getting ready for the playoffs? Second, Muk and Mac are not in the same universe of value.

 

[Devs3cups]

Pretty sure the player that was injured in the deal was Okhotyuk. He was injured with the Comets, and I believe that’s why the deal was pending.

 

[Devils731]

Pretty sure the player that was injured in the deal was Okhotyuk. He was injured with the Comets, and I believe that’s why the deal was pending.

My recollection is this is correct. It was initially thought it was a throw-in player for SJ but that didn’t make sense as being the hold up to the trade. I think later it was revealed to be Okhotyuk.

 

[Devs3cups]

My recollection is this is correct. It was initially thought it was a throw-in player for SJ but that didn’t make sense as being the hold up to the trade. I think later it was revealed to be Okhotyuk.

I also remember that there was a report saying that the player in question wasn’t reachable because it was the middle of the night in Russia? Maybe Okh was in Russia at the time? Not too sure anymore lol.

 

[Bleedred]

Not sure why the Blackwood thread was bumped (it wasn't me!) but would like to say how happy I am with the Sharks acquisition of him to lead the charge in the tank. Not sure there's a missile that can blow this tank apart, especially with Karlsson now gone. Would love to see Hertl go away for extra reinforcement.

 

[Brodeur]

I sifted through many pages of the main board Timo trade thread to try to find that tweet. I was out and about that day, so I missed that several hours of limbo before all the details were announced. Definitely some unintentionally hilarious posts from people trying to guess what the trade was.

Good-Bye Timo Meier

Well folks, today marks the first day of the Timo Meier-less Sharks. Sure, we all knew it was coming. After all, it felt like everyone in the league was talking about what color sweater Timo would be…

www.fearthefin.com

That’s a lot of moving parts, which explains why when the trade initially leaked it took absolutely forever to “officially” complete. (That, and from what Elliott Friedman has reported, the Sharks’ Max Veronneau was supposed to be included but turned out to be injured and that slowed things down.)