NHL Player News

Soderblom allowed four goals on 49 shots in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Avalanche.

Soderblom was under pressure all game as the Avalanche outshot the Blackhawks 49-20. The 26-year-old did his best to keep the game close, but that was an uphill battle from the start. It's a third straight loss for Soderblom, who has given up 12 goals on 100 shots in that span. He's now at a 6-11-3 record with a 3.72 GAA and an .879 save percentage over 21 outings this season. Spencer Knight is likely to get the nod Sunday at home versus the Predators.

MacKinnon notched three assists, fired four shots on net and added three hits in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

MacKinnon's second helper came on the power play. He has two goals and eight assists during his current five-game point streak. The 30-year-old superstar is up to 114 points -- his third-best campaign to date -- while adding 300 shots on net, 51 hits, 35 PIM and a plus-57 rating over 67 appearances. He's earned just 27 points on the power play, which is relatively modest compared to his overall body of work.

Kadri scored a power-play goal on three shots and added two hits in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Kadri has two goals and two assists across seven games since he rejoined the Avalanche at the trade deadline. His last two points have come with the man advantage over the last two contests. For the season, the veteran forward is up to 14 goals, 45 points (15 on the power play), 194 shots on net, 47 hits, 24 PIM and a minus-25 rating through 68 appearances between the Avalanche and the Flames.

Nelson scored a power-play goal on five shots and added two PIM in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Nelson had gone 11 games without a goal, picking up five assists in that span. The 34-year-old broke the drought with a first-period tally that held up as the game-winner. For the season, Nelson is up to 31 goals (eight game-winners), 56 points, 14 power-play points, 164 shots on net, 50 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating over 68 appearances. He continues to play on the second line and first power-play unit.

Nichushkin scored a goal and added an assist in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Nichushkin had gone four games without a point prior to Friday. The 31-year-old winger is up to 15 goals, 40 points, 133 shots on net, 48 hits and a plus-4 rating over 59 appearances. He's currently on the top line and will likely stay there as long as both of Artturi Lehkonen (upper body) and Gabriel Landeskog (lower body) are sidelined.

Necas scored a goal on five shots and added two power-play assists in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Necas has four goals and four helpers over his last six outings. His effort Friday was enough to give him a career high in points with 84 (32 goals, 52 assists) across 65 appearances. He has added 169 shots on net, 74 hits, 30 PIM and a plus-44 rating. Necas has been an excellent fit on the Avalanche's top line over the last season and a half, and that gives him top-tier fantasy value.

Blackwood stopped 19 of 20 shots in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Blackwood had gone winless over his previous four outings, allowing 14 goals on just 68 shots in that span. The 29-year-old wasn't tested much Friday, and he was able to limit the damage to a Wyatt Kaiser goal in the second period while the Avalanche's top players led the charge. Blackwood is up to 19-8-1 with a 2.43 GAA and a .905 save percentage over 30 appearances this season, making him a reliable source of wins even as his ratios have started to falter lately. The Avalanche's next game is Sunday versus the Capitals.

Brunicke logged three assists in WHL Kamloops' 7-3 win over Vancouver on Friday.

Brunicke has earned four helpers over his last two contests. The defenseman has earned two goals and 20 helpers over 23 appearances for the Blazers after starting the year in the NHL with the Penguins. He'll likely get a long look in training camp with Pittsburgh in the fall.

Howard scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Bakersfield's 7-4 loss to San Diego on Friday.

Howard has three goals and three assists over his last six games to keep his strong AHL campaign going. The winger has earned 17 goals, 38 points and 106 shots on net across 36 appearances. Howard figures to be a big part of the Condors' potential playoff run rather than a factor on the NHL roster in the coming weeks.

Zary sustained an apparent upper-body injury in the third period of Friday's game versus the Panthers, and head coach Ryan Huska had no update on his status after the contest.

Zary was hooked and then shoved head-first into the boards by A.J. Greer in the third period. Zary was able to skate off under his own power, but he'll need further evaluation to determine the extent of his injury. Ryan Lomberg or John Beecher are the top candidates to draw into the lineup if Zary can't play Sunday versus the Lightning.