The Colorado Avalanche only needed four games to sign goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood long-term.

The Avalanche announced Friday that they have signed Blackwood to a five-year contract extension through the 2029-30 season. The contract has an average annual value of $5.25 million against the salary cap, a source told ESPN. Blackwood is in the final season of a two-year, $2.35 million contract against the cap.

Blackwood, 28, was acquired from San Jose on Dec. 9 as part of a multiplayer transfer that sent Alexandar Georgiev, Colorado’s former starting goalie, and forward Nikolai Kovalenko, 25, to the Sharks.

Blackwood is 3-1-0 in four starts for the Avalanche, with a .931 save percentage and 2.03 goals-against average. He has a record of 84-92-25 in 219 career games over seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils, Sharks and Avalanche.

“When we acquired Mackenzie a few weeks ago, our plan was to have him come to Denver, get acclimated to his new team and his new city, and then reach out to him and his representatives when the time came,” said General Chris MacFarland Avalanche managers said in a statement. “We are delighted to complete this deal now and have Mackenzie under contract for the next six years.”

“As I said when we acquired him, we feel that Mackenzie has gotten better every year and he has done a great job with us in his first few appearances. He is a strong, athletic goalkeeper who is still young.” He is still developing as a goalkeeper, he fits our style of play very well and has also fit perfectly into our dressing room.

Colorado has dramatically changed its goaltending this season. The Avalanche started with a tandem of Georgiev and Justus Annunen before trading Georgiev to acquire Blackwood and dealing Annunen to the Nashville Predators for goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

The Avalanche (21-15-0) are third in the Central Division.