While nothing is guaranteed, there’s a belief that San Jose Sharks forwards Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund will both be participating in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
Granlund, who has vast international experience and eight goals for the Sharks so far this season, will likely be part of Finland’s team and Zetterlund, with seven goals right now, has a good shot of being on Sweden’s roster. William Eklund, who has 13 points in 18 games, might also be in the mix for Sweden.
Then there is Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who, over the last month, has quietly made a solid case to be included on Team Canada’s roster for the league’s new best-on-best event.
Blackwood had another strong performance Saturday night, making 25 saves, including six in overtime, in the Sharks’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Blackwood came on in relief of goalie Vitek Vanecek, who left Saturday’s game after the first period for undisclosed reasons.
Blackwood made a lunging blocker save on Penguins forward Rickard Rakell to keep the game tied 3-3 late in the third period, and made two tough saves on Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, who has already been named to Team Canada’s roster, in overtime.
While San Jose’s stirring comeback was fueled by two goals from Tyler Toffoli and one from Granlund, the Sharks’ likely do not have an opportunity to gain at least a point against the Penguins at the end of a four-game road trip without Blackwood’s heroics.
“Outstanding by Blackwood. Outstanding,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, who did not have an update on Vanecek’s health after the game. “Some of the best saves you’ll see in this league this year, I’m assuming. Keeps us in the game, especially there in the third.
“We battle back to make it 3-3 and then give up a Grade A (chance). Crosby makes that play in the middle of the ice, gives it to Rakell. Hell of a save.”
Starting with his 36-save performance for the Sharks against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 15, his second start of the season, Blackwood, in 10 games, has a 3-5-2 record and a more-than-respectable .919 save percentage.
For the season, Blackwood’s save percentage is .914, a mark bettered by only two other Canadian goalies – Detroit’s Cam Talbot and New Jersey’s Jake Allen – who have played at least seven games this season.
Before Saturday, Blackwood’s goals saved above expected per 60 mark of .354, per moneypuck.com, ranked 15th among 44 NHL goalies who had played at least seven games. His high danger save percentage of .855 ranks in the 84th percentile, per NHL Edge stats.
In 11 games, Blackwood, from Thunder Bay, Ontario, has seen an average of 34.7 shots per game, fourth-most among all NHL goalies this season.
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is part of Team Canada’s front office for February’s event and would have had a first-hand look at Blackwood on Saturday. Dubas will be Canada’s director of player personnel for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics. Boston Bruins executive Don Sweeney is Canada’s GM for the 4 Nations.
Each of the four countries, Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, must submit its 23-player roster by Dec. 2. The teams will be revealed two days later. Each team will carry three goalies.
Other goalies who will likely be considered for Canada’s roster besides Talbot, Allen, and Blackwood are Washington’s Logan Thompson, Los Angeles’ Darcy Kuemper, Montreal’s Sam Montembeault, Vegas’ Adin Hill, St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington, Utah’s Connor Ingram, and Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner.
Allen, Kuemper, Hill, and Binnington have all been on Stanley Cup-winning teams, which figures to work in their favor. Blackwood has yet to start a playoff game.
Whatever happens, the Sharks know they have a quality goalie in Blackwood, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
“He had a really good road trip, to be honest, and kept us in games, and he’s the reason why we got some of the points that we got,” Toffoli said of Blackwood, who had a 44-save shutout against the Devils last Sunday to start the road trip.
“Obviously, another great outing from him. I haven’t seen (Vanecek) yet, so hopefully he’s OK.”
Suppose Vanecek is unavailable to play Monday when the Sharks return home to face the Detroit Red Wings. In that case, it’s certainly possible, or quite likely, that San Jose’s front office will recall Yaroslav Askarov from its AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Askarov and the Barracuda had a less-than-stellar night Saturday against the Pacific Division-leading Calgary Wranglers, with the Russian goalie stopping 19 of 23 shots in San Jose’s 6-2 loss at Tech CU Arena.
Still, Askarov has been everything the Sharks hoped he would be when they acquired him from the Nashville Predators in August, as he now has a 6-3-0 record and a .939 save percentage with two shutouts in nine games this season.
“He’s been our best player,” Barracuda coach John McCarthy said of Askarov after Saturday’s game. “He’s kept us in games. He’s been really good for us.”
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The Sharks flew home right after Saturday’s game, and an update on Vanecek might not come until Monday morning when they begin preparations for their game against the Red Wings. Perhaps Blackwood will get the nod against Detroit regardless.
“We’re close to doing a lot of good things,” Blackwood said Saturday night. “We’ve made a few mistakes, but it’s really positive that this group never quits. Every guy in here is awesome. Everyone goes to bat for each other. Everyone loves each other in there, so it’s a great locker room feeling.
“Hopefully we can continue to just kind of piece these together and build off it.”