New Jersey Devils: 3 Goalies That Give Us Hope With Mackenzie Blackwood

Frederik Andersen

Frederik Andersen is a little older than the others on the list, so this one might hit a little hollow, but we still think it’s a good example for Blackwood to follow. Andersen was amazing in Anaheim before he was traded to Toronto. There, he was really good for a few years before the wheels fell off.

That’s where Blackwood is now, too. He’s coming off two bad seasons, and he’s hoping to bounce back. Blackwood doesn’t have close to the track record that Andersen does. He doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt. Andersen did with the Carolina Hurricanes, and he put forth a Vezina-worthy performance (although it was always going to Igor Shesterkin).

This past season, Andersen put up a .922 save percentage behind a stellar Hurricanes defense. It was the best of his career outside of his rookie season. He was someone who really helped the Canes win the Metropolitan Division. He’s currently trying to work his way back into the Rangers series to get the Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Andersen is 32 years old. He’s in a much different place in his career than Blackwood. He’s established himself as a brand name. While he’s never been Carey Price or Andrei Vasilevskiy per se, he has been really good for a long time. Blackwood hopes to get to a place where he’s as good as Andersen. Not the Andersen of his Toronto twilight, but the Andersen of now would be a great version of Blackwood.