New Jersey Facing Predicament After Ugly Injury to Mackenzie Blackwood

New Jersey's 4-3 comeback win over the Edmonton Oilers put on display the incredible resilience of this young Devils team. In the span of 1:26, the Devils went from tied 1-1 to losing their starting goalie to injury and trailing 3-1 to a dominant Oilers team. On a night in which Stuart Skinner looked sharp early and seemingly everything was working against them, New Jersey somehow assembled a three-goal third period to secure the win.

As emotional as the win was, it was equally bitter as it was sweet. Although the team rallied from behind, they lost their starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood and it doesn't look great. The team recalled goaltender Nico Daws from Utica of the AHL, and Blackwood was reportedly seen walking out of Rogers Place in a leg brace. The team issued no update, but all signs indicate something serious.

Blackwood had both his 2020-21 & '21-22 seasons cut short due to a nagging heel injury, which only makes this worse. A little slow out of the gate, Blackwood was just starting to settle into the crease when this injury happened.

The team is in the midst of a western Canada road trip, and although Jonathan Bernier joined the team on the trip, the Devils' cap situation will not permit them to activate Bernier until Blackwood goes to long-term injured reserve. And it is not definite that Blackwood will qualify for LTIR just yet (10 games or 24 calendar days).

Ipso facto, New Jersey has just over 24 hours to sort out their goaltending situation. Whether it is Bernier, Nico Daws or Akira Schmid backing up Vitek Vanecek, the Devils are at the mercy of the salary cap for now.

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