31 Wins Make Avalanche’s Wedgewood More Than a Backup

Thirty-one wins should buy a goaltender more than the occasional night off for somebody else. Scott Wedgewood gave the Colorado Avalanche that many in 2025, along with a .921 save percentage (SV%). Whatever the plan for the crease in 2026-27, those numbers deserve to remain part of that discussion.

After Mackenzie Blackwood started Colorado’s first three games, Wedgewood made 26 saves in a 7-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Oct. 8. One start settles very little about the season’s eventual workload. It does bring the real question into focus: how does Colorado keep Wedgewood involved while giving Blackwood room to establish himself?

The answer should be a regular rotation, with meaningful opportunities for both. Wedgewood has proven that he can handle considerably more than emergency duties. Colorado should make use of that ability before an injury or a bad stretch forces the issue.

Wedgewood’s Numbers Deserve Some Weight

Start with the workload. Wedgewood made 43 starts in 2025-26, according to NHL.com’s playoff coverage. That matters as much as the headline number. This was a substantial run through the schedule, long enough to face different opponents, road trips, and the ordinary grind that can expose a hot start.

His .921 SV% also gives the discussion some substance beyond wins. A goalie can collect victories because his teammates score in bunches. Stopping that proportion of the shots he faced tells us Wedgewood contributed something of his own, even if the defense deserves a share of the credit.

For comparison, The Hockey Writers’ preseason goaltending assessment recorded Blackwood’s .904 SV% last season. The difference is 17 saves per 1,000 shots. That is a straightforward comparison of their rates, not a claim that switching goalies would automatically prevent 17 goals. They did not face identical shots or identical circumstances.

That distinction matters. Screens, rebounds, and passes across the slot make some saves much harder than others. SV% cannot sort all of that out. But dismissing Wedgewood’s season because Colorado defended well would go too far in the other direction. He earned an opportunity to keep contributing.

At 34, he deserves a sensible workload. Giving him regular starts does not mean asking him to carry the club every other night indefinitely. The advantage of having two credible options is that Colorado can adjust before either goalie looks worn down.

Blackwood Has a Case Too

Blackwood entered camp healthy after missing the previous season’s camp, and head coach Jared Bednar wanted him to become Colorado’s starter. That is a reasonable objective by every standard. A coach should be allowed to see if a goalie can turn a better preparation period into more dependable performances.

There is also an uncomfortable detail for anyone ready to hand Wedgewood the job permanently. Colorado switched to Blackwood after Wedgewood opened the 2026 conference final 0-3 with an .877 SV%. Even a terrific regular season could not remove the need for another option when the stakes rose.

The lesson here goes both ways. Blackwood should not lose the crease whenever one night goes badly, and Wedgewood should not disappear from the plan whenever Blackwood strings together a few good games. Colorado needs enough evidence to make decisions, rather than turning every rebound into a referendum on the starter.

That means watching how the goals happen. Is a goalie tracking shots through traffic? Are rebounds landing where defenders can deal with them? Is he arriving under control when the puck moves across the ice? Those questions are more important than assigning blame from the final score.

Colorado Needs a Rotation With Purpose

A practical approach would give Wedgewood starts beyond the second half of back-to-backs. Those games can come with tired teammates in front of him. Mixing in games with a rested lineup gives the coaching staff a fairer comparison and makes the rotation about performance as well as recovery. Planning those starts ahead of time would also let both goalies prepare, while leaving room for Bednar to change course when health, form or the schedule gives him a good reason.

Bednar can still reward the hotter goalie. The point is to keep both involved often enough that the next change feels routine. If one clearly separates himself over several weeks, increase his share. If both are playing well, there is little reason to manufacture a problem by forcing a permanent hierarchy.

Colorado does not need to promise Wedgewood a particular number of starts in October. It needs to remember what he already delivered. Thirty-one wins are strong evidence that his value extends beyond filling a gap. A team trying to win the Stanley Cup should give itself every chance to use that value again.