DALLAS -- In less than three weeks, Mackenzie Blackwood has gone from a surprise NHL call-up to one of the Devils' biggest hopes for optimism in the future.

The 22-year-old goalie, who posted two shutouts in his first four career starts, became a lineup fixture over the past week after seizing an opportunity that opened following an injury to veteran goalie Cory Schneider.

A 3-2-0 record, a 1.91 GAA and a .945 save percentage have highlighted a surprisingly fast NHL start for Blackwood, who was drafted to be the Devils' goalie of the future back in 2015.

Very early in his NHL career, Blackwood is showing that promise, despite a long road with its share of bumps and bruises to get there.

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Where he came from

Birthplace: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Junior team: Barrie Colts, OHL

Drafted: 42nd overall in 2015

Blackwood was the Devils' second selection of the 2015 NHL Draft, going after they took forward Pavel Zacha sixth overall in the first round.

He was the highest goalie selection by the team since taking Jeff Frazee 38th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. Frazee played only one NHL game.

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Bruce Bennett | Getty Images

The Devils took Blackwood as a big, tall, athletic goalie who moved well in the crease and around the ice.

Like any goalie, he needed time to mature and develop, but the raw skills and build were there.

When Blackwood was still with the Devils during 2018's training camp, well before his actual NHL call-up, he took part in end-of-practice sprints with the rest of the team's skaters and three other goalies still in camp.

The goalies that skated with the four groups naturally trailed behind in all of their gear. But even weighed down, Blackwood showed a clear gear above the rest of the goalies, putting up plenty of speed to quickly get up the ice.

In terms of Blackwood's actual goaltending ability, that's irrelevant. But it just showed what type of athleticism he possesses.

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Blackwood's scouting report entering draft

Blackwood was the second goalie drafted in 2015, going behind Russian netminder Ilya Samsonov, who went 22nd overall in the first round to the Washington Capitals.

But Blackwood was the top-ranked North American goalie in his draft year, and the Devils made him a high-profile pick at 42nd overall, even with Schneider just starting a seven-year contract extension in 2015-16.

Drafting Blackwood was not meant for the short term, however, and the Devils saw attributes that could make him a starting NHL goalie down the line.

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Bruce Bennett | Getty Images

Many of the characteristics Blackwood has flashed in his brief NHL stint mirror what experts said about him entering his draft year.

Here's how Hockey's Future scouted Blackwood prior to the 2015 draft:

"Blackwood is a modern goaltender who plays a strong butterfly style which combines his size and incredible athleticism. He was one of the best athletes in his draft class and top performers at the NHL combine. Using this, he moves quickly for his size in the cease, especially laterally. By staying poised and being in the right position, Blackwood is able to play consistently each night. In order to reach the next level, he still needs to improve his stickhandling and patience in staying on his feet longer. He also feels he can always improve his hands."

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Part of the transitional draft class

The Devils' 2015 draft class was a unique one.

The team's five selections in the seven rounds came less than two months after the Devils shocked the hockey world by hiring Ray Shero as general manager, with Lou Lamoriello staying on as team president.

So when the Devils drafted, Lamoriello and scouting director David Conte were still part of the organization with Shero. They were gone less than one month later.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Regardless, it was Shero's first draft class with the Devils, and it was meant to be one that signaled the start of a new direction for the Devils.

While Zacha hasn't entirely lived up to being the sixth overall pick yet, here's what the group has given the Devils so far:

A No. 2/3 center in Zacha

A No. 4 center in Brett Seney

A potential No. 1 goalie in Blackwood

2 AHL prospects in Blake Speers and Colton White

All things considered, that's not a bad haul for being limited to five picks.

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Goalie of the future?

Blackwood turned pro at the start of the 2016-17 season, joining the Albany Devils. Goalies typically take a bit longer to develop, especially at a crowded position, so he had plenty of time to learn the ropes and fine tune his game.

The Devils had Schneider in net, and they re-signed Keith Kinkaid to a two-year deal prior to the 2017-18 season while Blackwood kept playing in the AHL.

That contract served as a perfect bridge for a potential jump for Blackwood.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Playing behind Schneider, Kinkaid had two more seasons to prove he could serve as a starter in the NHL. His play at the end of the 2017-18, where he won 26 games, showed he could handle a big workload.

Kinkaid handled much of the Devils' goalie work before Blackwood's promotion, and he could land a starting job in free agency over the summer.

That timeline opened the door for Blackwood to potentially make the jump next season. A couple injuries expedited that process, and he's already showing he can handle NHL work.

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Chris Ryan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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A brutal 2017-18

Blackwood's development didn't come without any hiccups, though.

His 2017-18 season in the AHL went far from planned, where he posted a 3.41 GAA and .882 save percentage in 32 games with the Binghamton Devils. He had a successful stint in the ECHL playoffs at the end of the season, but that was cut short by a knee injury.

So all things considered, Blackwood had a rough second pro season, and he needed to rebound in 2018-19.

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Julio Cortez | AP Photo

He did just that in the AHL, posting a 2.69 GAA and .911 save percentage in the AHL before jumping to the Devils' roster.

While Blackwood went through his share of growing pains last season, he hasn't tried to look back on what went wrong.

"Just keep working all the time. You can never be satisfied, and just always working on the little details," Blackwood said. "There's a fine line between doing something right and wrong, so it's just all about polishing the little details in your game and making sure you're ready to go whenever you get called upon."

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The series of events that led to Blackwood's NHL call-up

Even with Blackwood playing well in the AHL at the start of 2018-19, his path the NHL remained crowded.

Kinkaid was playing well with the Devils. Schneider, despite his struggles, was still going to get his chances to play games. And even if Schneider, the organization had veteran Eddie Lack as insurance since Schneider was coming off hip surgery during the offseason.

Then a couple injuries opened the door.

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Bill Kostroun | AP Photo

Schneider went down with an abdominal strain during the summer, forcing him to IR. Lack likely would have been recalled, but he was dealing with his own hip injury. That led to Blackwood's promotion.

Lack ultimately underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip, forcing him out for the rest of 2018-19. So as long as Schneider is hurt, Blackwood has an NHL spot.

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What changed in Blackwood's development

While Blackwood had his share of developing to do on the ice after being drafted, he also had some growing to do off of it.

The goalie's maturity on and off the ice was an area where the Devils wanted him to improve, especially after he turned pro following his junior career and his play at the World Junior Championships.

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Tyler Schank | Columbus Dispatch

"When he came to us, he was kind of a guy, he had a short attention span. He wasn't the most coachable. It was understanding what it means to be a pro," Devils coach John Hynes said. "It was the preparation for practice, how you need to live your life away from the rink to be prepared to play, understanding coaching is not always going to be compliments. There's going to be areas of your game need to be better."

Hynes continued, saying the goalie has made a dramatic turn in those areas, where Blackwood has put a visible effort into improving those aspects, and they've shown.

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Blackwood's personality

Outside of Blackwood's still short NHL stint and some work in the past few training camps, Hynes hasn't spent a ton of day-to-day time around Blackwood, so he's still learning subtle things about the goalie and how he handles different situations.

Part of the maturity in Blackwood's game means handling the day-to-day part of NHL life, where things won't always come smoothly for a player. So far, Hynes has seen the same goalie each day at the rink.

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Julio Cortez | AP Photo

"I will say to his credit, since he's been recalled and has played, he's really kept a good demeanor. He says the right things and does the right things," Hynes said. "He's got a strong work ethic and now the challenge for him, it's got to become everyday.

"He's got the talent to play. He's had some success, but now it's got to come in to becoming an everyday guy. The preparation, the work ethic, not getting too high, not getting too low, making sure his lifestyle is right. Living the right way to make sure he's giving himself the best opportunity to perform."

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What assistant coach Rick Kowalsky sees in Blackwood's development

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Relying on his defense

One of the reasons Blackwood -- and many goalies -- struggle when they start play in the AHL is the unpredictability of the game. Yes, the goalies are playing with other pro players, but the skaters, especially defensemen, are playing against a new level of competition, too.

The defensive structure in front of goalies can break down easily, leading to some tough nights. That's less common in the NHL.

When Blackwood posted his two shutouts, he was quick to say they don't happen without the execution of the skaters in front of him.

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Julio Cortez | AP Photo

"They're just so good in our own end and off the rush," Blackwood said of his defense. "They're just taking care of the chances that are coming in to our end and just staying so composed and playing the box and positioned so well. Even when a puck does squirt over, (opponents) get one shot instead of another pass and a backdoor tap, or whatever it is. They're really just letting everyone do their job, and it's showing right now. "

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Chris Ryan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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How Blackwood has handled NHL transition

Blackwood couldn't have envisioned a much better start to his NHL career.

He allowed two or fewer goals in each of his first four starts, going 3-1-0 in that stretch. He posted the two shutouts, becoming the youngest Devils goalie ever to hold opponents scoreless in back-to-back games.

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Elise Amendola | AP Photo

When Blackwood was recalled on Dec. 17 to take Schneider's spot, his role wasn't clear. He certainly wasn't expected to get a starter's workload immediately.

But after relieving Kinkaid twice before the Christmas break and playing well in his first career start -- a 2-1 loss on the road to the Columbus Blue Jackets -- Blackwood earned the chance for more games.

That led to him starting the team's past four games, where he has been nearly flawless in handling his NHL opportunity.

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Blackwood, of course, won't anchor a shutout every night. Following his back-to-back perfect outings, he allowed five goals during the Devils' 5-4 loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

After the game, the goalie took questions with the same tone and demeanor that he did following each of his three wins. Never too high, never too low.

"Every night's not going to be perfect, right?" he said. "We faced some adversity tonight, and big character thing is how you bounce back. The good thing in this business is you're right back at it pretty soon after, so it's a good opportunity for us in this room to show our adversity and come back in the next one."

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Jay LaPrete | AP Photo

Despite the loss and the five goals allowed, Blackwood was still arguably one of the Devils' best players on the ice. The Stars opened the game with a 28-2 shot advantage, taking a 3-1 lead in the process.

That lead could have been much less manageable without some key saves by Blackwood, who turned away some grade-A opportunities at the net. He gave the Devils a chance to win, and the team responded by tying the game at 4-4 before the Stars found the winning goal.

"Sometimes there are going to be low-scoring games. Sometimes there might be three, four, five type of goals against or goals for, that type of game," Hynes said. "For a young kid to battle like that on the road, under some duress, I really like the way he stayed with it and gave us a chance."

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Despite the Stars' sizable shot advantage on Wednesday, Blackwood, for the most part, didn't notice the huge differential. Outside of the 16-2 total he saw at the end of the first period while leaving the ice, he didn't pay much attention to the running shot clock.

Even after seeing some goals hit the net, he turned his attention to the next save he had a chance to make.

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Paul Bereswill | Getty Images

"Try not to look at that kind of stuff, because then you can get in your own head," Blackwood said. "You just try to take it like it's one shot at a time or one minute at a time. Maybe you look back after the period and go, 'Ohh,' but when you're in it, you're just worried about one thing and that's stopping the puck."

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WHERE TO REACH ME

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.