25 Wins: Mackenzie Blackwood
He’s had his ups and downs this season, but Mackenzie Blackwood has embraced the role as starting goaltender. While the New Jersey Devils coaching staff mentioned they would try to cut back on Blackwood’s workload over the season’s remainder, 25 wins is still attainable for the 23-year-old netminder.
If Blackwood plays in 20 of New Jersey’s final 30 games, all he must do is win at least half of those contests. Blackwood is 15-12-7 in games where he’s credited with the final outcome, giving him a .44 win percentage. While his overall stats aren’t much to look at, you can argue they more so reflect the team’s less-than-subpar quality that plays in front of him—in terms of individual performance, Blackwood is actually holding his own this season.
Between his age, inexperience, and taking on starting goaltending duties, 25 wins might be a bit of a hurdle for Blackwood, but isn’t entirely out of the question. He’s more than capable of winning at least one-third of New Jersey’s remaining 30 contests. Since the balance of this season will primarily be spent on monitoring individual player development, the environment is ideal for Blackwood to aim high and further cement his status as the Devil’s starting goaltender moving forward.