<p>On Monday, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/colorado-avalanche/line-combinations">Colorado Avalanche</a> announced that the team is sending goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to its American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, on a conditioning loan.</p>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Update: Sean Behrens has been activated and reassigned to the Colorado Eagles. <br><br>In addition, Mackenzie Blackwood has been placed on a conditioning loan to the Colorado Eagles.</p>— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/Avalanche/status/1977765160887398518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<p>Blackwood has yet to play a game this season, as an offseason lower-body injury <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/colorado-avalanche-mackenzie-blackwood-samuel-girard-logan-oconnor-injured-to-start-training-camp">kept him out of training camp</a>. In his place, the Avalanche have relied on veteran backup Scott Wedgewood, who has played rather well in the first three games of the 2025-26 campaign.</p>



<p>Blackwood is coming into his first full season as a member of the Avs. He started the 2024-25 season with the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/san-jose-sharks/line-combinations">San Jose Sharks</a>, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/avalanche-acquire-blackwood-from-sharks-as-part-of-deal-for-georgiev-kovalenko">but was moved to Denver</a> last December amid the latter’s desperate need for a good goaltender. The move paid off, as the Thunder Bay, Ont. native played well, going 22-12-3 in 37 games with Colorado, posting a 2.33 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage and three shutouts. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="172"></div>



<p>In his first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance, Blackwood played all seven games against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/dallas-stars/line-combinations">Dallas Stars</a>, losing out to Jake Oettinger and company in a thrilling first-round series.</p>



<p>Blackwood is entering the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/avalanche-sign-mackenzie-blackwood-to-five-year-5-25-million-aav-contract-extension">first season of a five-year contract</a>, which he signed last January. The deal has an AAV of $5.25 million through the 2029-30 season.</p>



<p>For the terms of the loan, Blackwood can remain with the Eagles for up to 14 days. The Eagles have five games over that span.</p>



<p>It won’t be the first time that Eagles’ fans will get to see a notable name from the big club spend some time in Loveland. Last season, Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog played a couple of games while getting in shape before returning to the NHL. The Swedish center <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/colorado-avalanche-gabriel-landeskog-scores-first-professional-hockey-goal-since-2022">even scored a goal in the process</a>.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="135"></div>



<p>The Eagles opened their 2025-26 season with a pair of wins over the <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/">Calgary Flames’</a> top farm team, the Calgary Wranglers, this past weekend. Colorado hits the road to take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Saturday, before visiting the Ontario Reign on Sunday.</p>



<p>The Avalanche (2-0-1) is set to face the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/buffalo-sabres/line-combinations">Buffalo Sabres</a> on Monday afternoon.</p>
