Mackenzie Blackwood - Will he end up a top-10 goaltender (not all-time)?

[britdevil]

So you’d rather have Blackwood over Hart this year?

Yes.

Blackwood is awesome.

 

[Bigb47]

If your position is that Carter Hart will end up being a better goalie than Mackenzie Blackwood because of age, potential, whatever, that's a totally fine opinion.

But to claim that Hart is better than Blackwood, right now, today, is just factually incorrect. Not a matter of opinion, it's just objectively and empirically false.

So if they are comparable in stats, would you take a forward putting up similar points thats 2 or 3 years older or the younger prospect?

 

[Frozen Lake]

So if they are comparable in stats, would you take a forward putting up similar points thats 2 or 3 years older or the younger prospect?

Theyre only a year and a half apart. That age difference isnt necessarily an assured extra year of growth, considering both started at the exact same time.

this idea that Carter Hart has some level of potential that Mackenzie Blackwood doesnt, simply because hes 1.5 years older, is silly

 

[Critical13]

He absolutely could be a top 10 goalie. He is pretty close right now. He’s right in that group with Hart, Binnington, Shesty, Varly.

 

[Bigb47]

Theyre only a year and a half apart. That age difference isnt necessarily an assured extra year of growth, considering both started at the exact same time.

this idea that Carter Hart has some level of potential that Mackenzie Blackwood doesnt, simply because hes 1.5 years older, is silly

I mean at this point its not really that relevant but isn't it more like 2 years as Hart is August of 96 and Blackwood is December of 98? So when Hart was 20 he was getting games and Blackwood had a pretty bad year in I can't remember the team he was on but as a flyers fan I need Hart to turn out better lol. They can both be great, as long as Hart is just a tad better haha

 

[Guttersniped]

I mean at this point its not really that relevant but isn't it more like 2 years as Hart is August of 96 and Blackwood is December of 98? So when Hart was 20 he was getting games and Blackwood had a pretty bad year in I can't remember the team he was on but as a flyers fan I need Hart to turn out better lol. They can both be great, as long as Hart is just a tad better haha

If the age thing matters to you can enjoy the fact that Jarry turned 25 last April, Sorokin turned 25 last August and Shesterkin turned 25 in December. And both Merzlikins and Korpisalo will be turning 27 in April, which makes it seem like the “young goaltenders of the Metro” have the youthfulness of high school students on Happy Days.

Hart was a full-on phenom while Blackwood and Samsonov were young goalies. Some of these guys are just goalies, 24-25 is when goalies generally establish themselves.

 

[chauron]

I don't know about him but at least the name is the coolest in the business ...

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Absolutely not. And I was iffy on ranking Hart that high and would have no problem replacing him in my top 10 with Markstrom and Lehner.

Of the young Metro goalies I'd have BW behind all of Samsonov, Hart, Merzlikins, Korpisalo, Shesterkin, Sorokin, Jarry and Varlamov. Which is no slight against him, that is pretty much a whose who of the best young goalies in the world.

And I like Blackwood a lot and thought he was one of the best goalies in the league down the stretch.

Career Save Percentage (min 60 gp):

Blackwood: .917
Jarry: .911
Hart: .916
Korpisalo: .908

Sorokin, Shesty, and Elvis don't have enough GP to qualify.

If you want to take Hart over Blackwood, I wouldn't argue (even if Blackwood has outperformed him on a much worse team). But including Jarry and Korpisalo is laughable

 

[Lou is God]

Was there any team last year that had a worse and softer blueline in front of their goalie then the Devils did?

If there is, they would have to be pretty awful, like God awful.

 

[Dr Quincy]

So you’d rather have Blackwood over Hart this year?

I mean, I think you could make a case for either at this point, so I don't get the mock surprise/indignation.

 

[Dr Quincy]

So if they are comparable in stats, would you take a forward putting up similar points thats 2 or 3 years older or the younger prospect?

Depends. Are we talking 20 1/2 and 19? 23 and 21 1/2? 24 and 22 1/2? Because at that last one, the age difference becomes less and less of a factor.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Depends. Are we talking 20 1/2 and 19? 23 and 21 1/1? 24 and 22 1/2? Because at that last one, the age difference becomes less and less of a factor.

You also need to take into account the teams they play on. The Devils have been one of the bottom two or three teams since Blackwood has joined the team

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

In the 10-15 range in a year or 2. But don't think he ever cracks the top 10 (perhaps once in a career year). But who knows with goalies.

He is already top 15 in the NHL. He has arguably been a top 10 goaltender since 2018-19. His body of work certainly supports the fact.

 

[Super Hans]

Jersey bringing the trap back? Then sure.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Jersey bringing the trap back? Then sure.

If the Devils aren't in a position to forecheck the opposing team then they will fall into a 1 2 2 defensive alignment. This won't change nor should this be different from any team in the league. The Devils system has them counter attacking in 4 man units, I don't see how this is anything others than an offensive scheme. I doubt they will apologize for executing a sound defensive posture in the neutral zone. The reason why it appears like a trap team is because their special teams were so bad, specifically the PP. Instead of going 0 for 8 with one goal allowed, if they go 2 for 8 they score 3 goals in both games. It's a perception from scoring 2 goals both games.

 

[Lou is God]

Jersey bringing the trap back? Then sure.

Why would they need to bring the trap back?

 

[Blender]

Jersey bringing the trap back? Then sure.

 

[Auto Pilot]

95 to some still

 

[blankall]

Definitely looks like he has great potential to be a top 10 goaltender in the league for 5+ years. Probably one of the favorite in the league to do so. Will that actually happen? Who knows. Goalies are so unpredictable right now. I'd probably say there are only a few goalies in the league I'd bet on still being starters in 3 years.

Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy might be the only locks. Then you have Gibson, Samsonov, and Markstrom. I'd put Blackwood in with the next group that includes guys like Hart, Merzlikiens, Korpisalo, Georgiev, Binnington etc... guys that clearly have the talent, but just haven't played enough games to establish themselves as long term #1 guys. These third tier is all great, but has more uncertainty.

Not sure about the vets, in Rask and Price. They'll be 36 in 3 years.

 

[Bigb47]

Depends. Are we talking 20 1/2 and 19? 23 and 21 1/2? 24 and 22 1/2? Because at that last one, the age difference becomes less and less of a factor.

Any of those ages, I mean they are only a year and a half but it’s really 2 seasons. They started the same year and since, the younger goalie has put up the same numbers and also took the team to a game from the conference finals with a fantastic GAA....that’s why I personally put Hart ahead of him, Blackwood hasn’t even played a game, which isn’t his fault but he hasn’t proven anything yet at all in a postseason

 

[Dr Quincy]

Any of those ages, I mean they are only a year and a half but it’s really 2 seasons. They started the same year and since, the younger goalie has put up the same numbers and also took the team to a game from the conference finals with a fantastic GAA....that’s why I personally put Hart ahead of him, Blackwood hasn’t even played a game, which isn’t his fault but he hasn’t proven anything yet at all in a postseason

Cool. So then you agree that Filip Chytil (younger and by a wider margin than Blackwood/Hart) is a better player with a better future than Oskar Lindblom too right?

 

[Auto Pilot]

Any of those ages, I mean they are only a year and a half but it’s really 2 seasons. They started the same year and since, the younger goalie has put up the same numbers and also took the team to a game from the conference finals with a fantastic GAA....that’s why I personally put Hart ahead of him, Blackwood hasn’t even played a game, which isn’t his fault but he hasn’t proven anything yet at all in a postseason

the younger goalie plays on a better team and yet can’t put up better numbers than the guy he’s supposedly better than.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

I'd probably say there are only a few goalies in the league I'd bet on still being starters in 3 years.

Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy might be the only locks. Then you have Gibson, Samsonov, and Markstrom. I'd put Blackwood in with the next group that includes guys like Hart, Merzlikiens, Korpisalo, Georgiev, Binnington etc... guys that clearly have the talent, but just haven't played enough games to establish themselves as long term #1 guys. These third tier is all great, but has more uncertainty.

You have Ilya f***ing Samsonov in a different tier above Hart, Elvis, Korpisalo and a bunch of other guys?

I mean... why?

 

[blankall]

You have Ilya f***ing Samsonov in a different tier above Hart, Elvis, Korpisalo and a bunch of other guys?

I mean... why?

Fair enough. Samsonov might be in tier #3. Samsonov has a lot of experience in the KHL, which is the world's second best men's pro league. But yes, you are correct her could certainly fall off.

 

[Frozen Lake]

Definitely looks like he has great potential to be a top 10 goaltender in the league for 5+ years. Probably one of the favorite in the league to do so. Will that actually happen? Who knows. Goalies are so unpredictable right now. I'd probably say there are only a few goalies in the league I'd bet on still being starters in 3 years.

Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy might be the only locks. Then you have Gibson, Samsonov, and Markstrom. I'd put Blackwood in with the next group that includes guys like Hart, Merzlikiens, Korpisalo, Georgiev, Binnington etc... guys that clearly have the talent, but just haven't played enough games to establish themselves as long term #1 guys. These third tier is all great, but has more uncertainty.

Not sure about the vets, in Rask and Price. They'll be 36 in 3 years.

Samsonov has less games and much worse stats than Blackwood, Hart, etc..