As Mackenzie Blackwood was peeling the tape away from his teal-infused goalie gear inside the very burgundy-and-blue home locker room at Ball Arena, a voice called out from across the room. It was his new partner,

Mackenzie Blackwood didn’t have much time to say goodbye. Fortunately for him, he didn’t have to wait long to come back. The former Sharks goaltender found out on Dec. 9 — his 28th birthday — that he was being traded from San Jose to Colorado.

Blackwood's underlying metrics suggest a goalie ready to break out, which is exactly what the otherwise strong Avalanche need.

Watching Blackwood, talking to Wedgwood, listening to coach Bednar, there was only one conclusion to draw Thursday: Hope has returned.

It’s the second trade in the last two weeks for Colorado, who has reshaped their crease after a disastrous start to the season in net

The Colorado Avalanche got a needed upgrade in net with Mackenzie Blackwood, while the San Jose Sharks got a solid return on investment

The San Jose Sharks are still working through a rebuild despite some promising play this season. Part of that rebuild includes trading productive players for assets that can benefit the team down the line.