New Jersey Devils Should Trade Mackenzie Blackwood To Chicago Blackhawks
With the New Jersey Devils off to an excellent start and looking to get back on track after a three-game losing streak, Tom Fitzgerald is looking to perfect his lineup. After a year of terrible goaltending, things are looking up. The Devils have been getting a lot of solid production from goalies Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid. The future now and in the near term is very bright in net. Even Nico Daws can take a spot in the future after a decent run in his rookie year.
As you noticed, we didn’t mention Mackenzie Blackwood. Blackwood returned to the ice on Wednesday night. He was horrendous for the Utica Devils. The fact that Blackwood is currently on a rehab stint is just another attempt for the Devils to build him back up enough just to trade him. As we all know, the Devils have three really solid goalies in the system. That’s not even including Blackwood. That makes Blackwood a seriously great option for trade.
Mackenzie Blackwood To The Chicago Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks need to improve in the pipes. Arvid Söderblom and Alex Stalock are the two netminders the Blackhawks currently have. Blackwood would bring a veteran presence who can be a really good goalie one day. However, he has mental roadblocks when he loses games in a tough way. Blackwood could benefit from a change of scenery and may improve the Blackhawks and Devils via trade.
The recent rumor of Max Domi likely being available makes a lot of sense for the Devils. Domi is a power forward with the desired combination of grit, speed, and perseverance. He knows how to execute on the power play. He will block shots, hit players cleanly, and fight. With the Devils being down one Nathan Bastian, a guy like Domi would bring those 20 points and help add the grit and sandpaper to the Devils.
Post-Mackenzie Blackwood Era
An end to the Mackenzie Blackwood era would allow Nico Daws to be next in the queue. Gilles Senn (yes, the Devils still own his rights), Jakub Malek, Cole Brady, and Tyler Brennan are all in the system. The Devils are looking less likely to bring back Senn since Vanecek is at or around his age. So Malek, Brady, and Brennan are the three youngest goalies outside the organization.
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It is only a matter of time before these young players pan out. The Devils have already seen how well Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek can carry the torch. It seems the team might already be in the post-Blackwood era.