Wedgewoodâ€s Late-Career Surge Demands a Starting Role

Itâ€s long past time to dispense with the euphemisms: Scott Wedgewood isnâ€t merely playing like a No. 1 goaltender — he is one.

They say you ride the rested goaltender, the one who gives you the best chance to win on any given night. For the Avalanche, the numbers make a compelling argument. In 19 appearances last season, Scott Wedgewood posted a career-best 1.99 goals against average along with a .917 save percentage. This year, through 15 starts, many of them against opponents coming in on lengthy winning streaks, Wedgewood has remained remarkably consistent, carrying a 2.17 goals against average while matching that same .917 save percentage.

NHL (@NHL) on X

NHL (@NHL) on X HOW DID SCOTT WEDGEWOOD MAKE THAT SAVE!? 😱 Incredible.

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Since the end of last season, critics have insisted that Wedgewoodâ€s career resurgence was a mirage and that, sooner or later, he would deliver the kind of disastrous performance that would drag him back to the form he showed in his early years with the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes and the New Jersey Devils. But what can anyone say about him now?

Letâ€s not forget that Winnipeg Jets starter Connor Hellebuyckis the reigning recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy, recognized as the most valuable player in the entire league for the 2024–25 season. Yet at this moment, Scott Wedgewood isnâ€t merely outperforming Hellebuyck in every meaningful category; he sits atop the entire NHL in all of them — wins, goals against average, and save percentage. Even more striking is the fact that several goaltenders across the league have logged more starts than Wedgewood this season and still do not have even half his number of victories.

Wedgewood isnâ€t the first goaltender to experience a dramatic late-career revival. The most fitting comparison is Chris Osgood, a key figure on the Detroit Red Wings†1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup–winning teams. Osgood was always a reliable presence in net, but he was rarely considered among the leagueâ€s elite for sustained stretches. Detroit even moved on from him in the 2002 offseason to acquire Dominik Hasek, prompting Osgoodâ€s departure to the New York Islanders.

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He eventually returned to the Red Wings in 2005, and three years later delivered one of the finest seasons of his career. In 2008, at 35 years old, Osgood posted a career-low 2.09 goals against average and backstopped Detroit to its most recent Stanley Cup championship. Meanwhile, the aging Hasek, though no longer the dominant force he once was, concluded his Red Wings tenure as the backup — but still as a champion.

Another example is Tim Thomas, who didnâ€t find his footing in the NHL until his mid-30s. But then everything changed. He won the Vezina at 34, the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup at 37, and posted some of the best statistical seasons of his career well after most goalies begin to fall off the cliff.

Some honorable mentions include Dwayne Roloson, who backstopped the Edmonton Oilers to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final and remained a dependable starter well into his early forties, and Mike Smith, the former Arizona Coyote–turned–Oiler, who posted a .923 save percentage at age 39 while carrying Edmonton to the 2022 Western Conference Final. The Oilers†run ended there—Colorado swept the series in four games en route to the Stanley Cup they ultimately claimed.

So what weâ€re witnessing with Scott Wedgewood, albeit rare, is not a new phenomena. This is something that has happened in the sport before and everyone should be grateful that they get to witness this sort of resurgence again, regardless of what team youâ€re rooting for.

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What this means for Mackenzie Blackwood, moving forward, could very well define the trajectory of his NHL career. After the 6–3 win over the Anaheim Ducks, Jared Bednar made it clear he intends to start the goaltender who is not only rested but also gives Colorado the best chance to win. Right now, thatâ€s Wedgewood. And if Blackwood canâ€t rediscover his form, the organization might as well make it official and anoint Wedgewood as the starter. Blackwood, in three starts this season has a record of 2-0-1 with a 3.28 goals against average and a .870 save percentage. There’s a clear-cut favorite.

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