NHL Player News

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.

Ivan was reassigned to AHL Colorado on Friday.

Ivan got into two games with the Avalanche during this stint in the NHL, but he didn't earn a point. The team's road trip continues against the Capitals on Sunday, and it's unclear if Ivan will be recalled prior to that contest, though the Avalanche could opt to add a different forward if none of their injured players are ready to return.

Mikkola sustained an apparent left knee injury Friday versus the Flames, and he is expected to miss time pending further evaluation, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Mikkola was hurt in the third period after taking contact to his knee. The Panthers have already been rotating players out of the lineup, so if this injury is even of moderate severity, the 29-year-old defenseman could get shut down. Donovan Sebrango figures to receive steadier playing time in the event Mikkola is sidelined for most or all of the rest of the season.

Crevier (undisclosed) is unlikely to play Sunday versus the Predators, but he is expected to be on the Blackhawks' road trip, which starts Tuesday versus the Islanders, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

Crevier looks set to miss a second game, but he could be back in less than a week. The 24-year-old defenseman will probably handle a bottom-four role once he's cleared to return. In his absence, Ethan Del Mastro should continue to play regularly.

Mangiapane (undisclosed) is expected to miss the start of the Blackhawks' upcoming four-game road trip, which starts Tuesday versus the Islanders, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

Mangiapane's timeline suggests he'll miss at least two more games after being ruled out Friday versus the Avalanche. His absence will keep the door open for Sam Lafferty and Landon Slaggert to hold onto fourth-line roles for now.