No. 3: Mackenzie Blackwood to Replace Jack Campbell?
Mackenzie Blackwood has all of the makings to be a really good goaltender, however he’s been stuck on an abysmal New Jersey Devils team for the past four years.
So, the question with Blackwood is: “Are his stats deflated because of the team he plays on, or is he just not a future number-one goaltender?”
But why will the Devils want to trade a 25-year-old goaltender, who was a former second-round draft pick, who’s 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and only makes $2.8M? Well, Larry Brooks of The New York Post is reporting that New Jersey is very interested in Jack Campbell, so they may be inclined to trade Blackwood to gain Campbell’s rights before he hits free agency.
That’s a very interesting case, because if you’re the Leafs, would you ride with Blackwood as your 1A or 1B goaltender? I mean, Campbell wasn’t much of a goaltender before he joined the Leafs and he worked out, so Blackwood could be entering his prime for all we know.
When NHL players were rumored to the 2020 Winter Olympics, Blackwood was in the conversation as a top-three goaltender for Team Canada, so there’s clearly some potential there, so Toronto could be acquiring Blackwood at it’s low right now.
Either way, here’s the trade:
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Mackenzie Blackwood
- New Jersey Devils acquire: Jack Campbell (rights)
This trade could be a win-win, as the Devils could acquire their No. 1 goaltender, while Toronto could get a 1A/1B goaltender on a cheap contract who could totally outplay his salary-figure. The Leafs could run with Petr Mrazek and Campbell, or they could flip Mrazek and use that cap-space to find another goaltender available and go from there.
This trade is incredibly intriguing and I kind of love it, which means it 100 percent won’t happen.