Mackenzie Blackwood
Blackwood is the projected No. 1 goalie for Colorado this season, with Scott Wedgewood as the backup, but I found no start counts, so I can't say how lopsided the split is.
Role
Daily Faceoff's Avalanche line page (fetched Nov 2, last updated Nov 1) lists Blackwood first in its goalie section. The fetch cut off before the rest of that section, so I did not see Wedgewood's placement on that page. Colorado Hockey Now (Oct 30) and Inside the Rink's Oct 31 Flames preview both name Blackwood as the starter and Wedgewood as the backup. ESPN's 2026-27 line combo page, indexed about 12 days ago, also shows Blackwood as the starter. Ilya Nabokov, a 23-year-old, was expected to open the season with AHL Colorado, per Denver Sports on Sep 16. Trent Miner was hurt in preseason per an SI report. I did not find a current start split or ice-time data.
Coach Jared Bednar said at media day (Sep 16, Denver Sports) that Blackwood had an incredible offseason and came in the best shape of his life. He also said he'd love Blackwood to be the team's starter. Denver Sports framed it as Blackwood's net to win, noting the club signed him to a five-year, $26.25 million extension. Blackwood is also healthy after offseason surgery cost him the first month of last season. Colorado's skaters are also an elite supporting cast.
Bednar stopped short of a firm commitment. Denver Sports noted he gave no clear commitment to Blackwood over Wedgewood, and Bednar said "you have to stay flexible." Per Denver Sports, Wedgewood seized the job last season with a league-best 2.02 GAA. Bednar also rotated goalies in the playoffs, and the goaltending carousel carried into the conference final. A club with two trusted goalies can lean on whichever is hot.
Where analysts split
The question is whether Blackwood gets a true starter's share of the starts or whether Colorado keeps a near-even tandem with Wedgewood. Bednar's stated hope is a Blackwood-led setup, but he has explicitly kept the door open to Wedgewood, and the current starter listings do not show actual start counts.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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