The Colorado Avalanche, through their first 20 games of the 2025-26 season, are 14-1-5 and have become one of four teams to get through 20 games with one or fewer regulation losses. They’ve recorded points in 19 of their 20 games and are currently on a seven-game winning streak, along with an 11-game point streak.
While all eyes have been on Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, and others, there’s been another player who’s been a big key to the early success. He is someone no one saw coming to have a start to the season he’s had: Scott Wedgewood.
Wedgewood Is the Avalanche’s Wonderwall
In 16 starts for the Avalanche, Wedgewood has a 12-1-2 record with a 2.23 goals-against average (GAA), a .913 save percentage (SV%), and one assist. The assist on the Brock Nelson goal in the Avalanche’s 6-3 win over the New York Rangers (Nov. 20) was his first career point, coming in his 170th NHL game.
The 84th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils was always seen as a career backup netminder. The most starts he ever saw in a season was back in 2023-24 with the Dallas Stars, where he started 28 but appeared in 32 total. He finished with a 16-7-5 record, a 2.85 GAA, and a .899 SV%.
Wedgewood has accumulated eight shutouts in his career. Last season for the Avalanche, he had two. For his career, Wedgewood has played in 170 games (152 starts), accumulating a 74-55-26 record with a 2.81 GAA and a .913 SV%.
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Heading into the 2025-26 season, the feeling was that Wedgewood would be the backup to Mackenzie Blackwood, maybe getting around 33 starts at the most. However, Blackwood began the season out with an injury, leading to Wedgewood getting the bulk of the starts, along with Trent Miner getting two before Blackwood’s return. After playing 915:40 of ice time, Wedgewood has been one of the reasons for where the Avalanche are through the first 20 starts.
The start Wedgewood has been on has even garnered him a one-year extension with the Avalanche. Back on Nov. 13, the Avalanche extended Wedgewood with a one-year, $2.5 million deal, which will make him an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after the 2026-27 season. He was going to be a UFA after this season, but after the stellar start, the Avalanche thought it was better to keep him and bring certainty to the crease in 2026-27. He’s currently on a seven-game winning streak and is showing no signs of slowing down.
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Wedgewood has given the Avalanche a solid 1-2 punch with Blackwood as his tandem partner, and now fans can expect it next season as well. It’s some tidy work by general manager Chris MacFarland, giving head coach Jared Bednar some relief in the crease moving forward. The Avalanche are at the top of the NHL in points (33), and one of the reasons for their early success is Wedewood. If not for him playing at this level, with Blackwood out, the season could look different for the Avalanche.
Wedgewood has been a catalyst for Bednar’s team as they look to extend their winning streak over the weekend. They are on a two-game road trip, with a back-to-back on Saturday (Nov. 22) in Nashville against the Predators and Sunday (Nov. 23) in Chicago against the Blackhawks. It’ll be interesting to see who will be in the crease for the Avalanche, but there’s a good feeling that no matter who’s in net, expect Wedgewood and Blackwood to keep the point and winning streak alive.
