One of the newest New York Rangers fits the profile the team is looking for
We continue our series of New York Rangers report cards with a slight twist. As we assess the forwards, we take a look at a new face on the Rangers, Colin Blackwell. We’ll look back at his last season and provide some expectations for the coming campaign.
Colin Blackwell: Grade B (with Nashville)
When the New York Rangers signed free agent Colin Blackwell for the NHL minimum $725k salary, it was seen as a depth signing with the center destined to spend the season in Hartford. While that may be true, throughout his career he has tried to defy expectations.
One issue is his size. Blackwell is small at 5’9″ and 190 pounds. But size wasn’t the only issue for him.
He has had to endure numerous setbacks. At Harvard he missed almost two seasons due to concussions. He was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 2011, but they never signed him. He did sign with the Shark’s AHL team for one season when he turned pro in 2016-17.
Unsigned after that season, he won a job with the Rochester Americans as a walk-on and played well enough there to earn a contract from the Nashville Predators. Spending most of his time with their Milwaukee AHL farm team, he made his NHL debut in 2018-19, playing six games and finally, found a place on the Predators’ roster last season at age 26. That’s determination.
His season
At the start of the Predators’ preseason, Blackwell cleared waivers and was sent to Milwaukee. He was recalled on December 14 and immediately made an impact as a high energy player. He played in 27 of Nashville’s last 39 games.
After going scoreless in his first five games, he had ten points in his last 22 games. He finished with three goals and seven assists while averaging 11 minutes of ice time per game. His plus/minus rating of +7 was one of the best on the team and he added 43 hits and 23 blocks shots while taking ten minutes in penalties.
Those hits worked out to an average of 8.7 per 60 minutes, good for fifth on the team among forwards. Even better was his blocked shots, an average of 4.66 per 60 minutes, third best among forwards.
The Rangers should note that he was outstanding on draws, winning 37 of 66 faceoffs for a winning percentage of 56.1%.
It was a long time coming for the Lawrence, Massachusetts native, but it was an impressive first year. Some Nashville observers had him contending for a starting job on the fourth line next season, so one has to believe that he has high hopes for his move to New York.
The numbers
Games: 27
Goals: 3
Assists: 7
Points: 10
PIMs: 10
Blocked shots: 23
Hits: 43
ATOI: 10:57
Corsi-for: 50.6%
Why the grade?
Considering his season, Blackwell exceeded all expectations last season. Considered a marginal NHL player who was destined to play in the AHL, he made it to the big leagues and won a semi-regular slot on a decent team.
His contributions fit his role on the team and it’s doubtful that anyone could have predicted how well his season worked out.
Expectations
At the very least, Blackwell will be a valuable piece of the Hartford Wolf Pack puzzle as that team strives to become a Calder Cup contender. Realistically, Blackwell will win a job as a 13th forward who will contribute occasionally. At best, Blackwell sneaks into the top 12 and centers the fourth line as a high energy fireplug for a team that needs players like him. The odds are against him, but he has beaten those odds before.
With the go ahead for the 2021 season it includes a “taxi squad” that will allow NHL teams to carry several AHL players in case of pandemic roster issues. That could work out very well for Blackwell as he is perfectly suited for that role. Considering his attitude and work ethic, having him with the Rangers would be a good thing.
It will be interesting to watch Blackwell’s season. From his bio, it appears that he is the kind of player that the Rangers are looking for in their quest to become “harder to play against.”