The Colorado Avalanche inked starting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood to a five-year, $26.25 million extension on Friday. Blackwood was acquired by the Avalanche from the San Jose Sharks in early December and signed to the new big-money deal after just four starts with his new club.
Blackwood’s contract locks down Colorado’s crease for the near future and helps set the standard for the NHL’s goaltending market moving forward. The Washington Capitals will have been keeping a close eye on the deal’s details, as both of their netminders, Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren, will be free agents next summer and are due raises.
After acquiring Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights this past offseason, the Capitals came into the 2024-25 season with a goaltending tandem earning under $2 million combined against the salary cap. After Blackwood’s extension and Igor Shesterkin’s record-breaking deal with the New York Rangers swelling the market, the Capitals’ net situation for the next few years likely got much more expensive.
Things could significantly change in Thompson’s case. His numbers this season are better than Blackwood’s, and he’s led the charge for a Capitals team that is arguably the best team in the league this season.
| Goaltender | W/L/OT | GAA | SV% | GSAE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Thompson | 13-2-2 | 2.40 | .914 | 10.7 |
| MacKenzie Blackwood | 9-10-3 | 2.83 | .914 | 5.9 |
| Charlie Lindgren | 10-7-0 | 2.61 | .903 | -0.5 |
Per AFP Analytics, an outlet primarily focused on player valuation, Thompson’s next contract was projected to be a four-year, $22.56 million deal with the current NHL salary cap estimations moving forward. They also give Jordan Binnington’s six-year, $36 million contract that he signed with the St. Louis Blues in 2021 as the most comparable for Thompson’s upcoming negotiations.
Thompson’s projected deal would see him make slightly more than Blackwood each year despite outplaying him this season. Thompson is also a year younger than Blackwood.
Lindgren’s hypothetical new contract is a bit cheaper, projected as a two-year, $7.94 million extension. His closest contract comparable is Braden Holtby’s final NHL deal, the two-year, $8.6 million agreement he made with the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the 2020-21 season.
After the NHL’s Board of Governors meetings in early October, reports emerged that the league’s salary cap would increase by $4.5 million to $92.5 million for the 2025-26 season. Gary Bettman has since confirmed those estimations, and follow-up reporting from hockey insider Elliotte Friedman suggested a distinct possibility that the cap may even rise $2.5-4.5 million more depending on revenue.
The Capitals should have plenty of space to keep both goalies, but doing so at an increased rate could limit their ability to upgrade elsewhere. Washington has 13 total players on their roster set for free agency (11 UFA, 2 RFA).
