It will be the first start of Francouz's career, although he did make a pair of relief appearances last season, stopping 33 of the 35 shots he faced in those two games. He registered a 27-20-1 record with the AHL's Colorado Eagles last season, posting a 2.68 GAA and a .918 SV%. He's worth considering for a spot start against Arizona if you're desperate for goalie stats.
Kadri took a shot off of his foot on Saturday and is sore, but head coach Jared Bednar expects him to play vs. the Bruins on Tuesday. Kadri is still searching for his first point with the Avalanche, but has four shots and has averaged 15:55 TOI/gm through two games.
Blackwood allowed two goals on nine shots in the Devils shootout loss to the Jets last night. Blackwood entered the game with a 4-2 lead after Cory Schneider got hurt and he continued to blow the Devils four-goal lead. Blackwood was solid last season, posting a .918 SV% 21 starts, so there’s no reason to panic after half of a game. He was 4-7-0 with a 3.02 GAA and .914 SV% on the road last year, so you have a right to be nervous tonight.
The former No.10 overall pick (2013) struggled mightily in 2019 after returning from a two-year stint in the KHL. Nichushkin failed to record a goal while compiling just 10 assists in 57 games with the Stars and has just 74 points (23G / 51A) in 223 career NHL games with Dallas. This is a low-risk signing for the Avalanche and Nichushkin has a chance to produce in a quality bottom-6 that improved this summer.
Kamenev only appeared in 25 combined games last year after suffering a shoulder injury in mid-December. Kamenev had just two goals and three assists (five points) in 23 games with the Avalanche and will likely start 2020 on their fourth line.
Nichushkin has been a huge disappointment for the Stars since selecting him No.10 overall in 2013. Nichushkin failed to live up to expectations early in his career before going to the KHL for two years (2017 and 2018). He returned to the NHL last year but did not score a goal while collecting just 10 assists in 57 games. Nichushkin has one-year left on his deal that carries a $2.95M cap-hit (per PuckPedia).
MacDonald had one goal in two games with the Panthers last year but spend most of the season in Springfield (AHL). The 26-year-old led all Thunderbirds’ defensemen in goals (14) and points (43) in 72 games. MacDonald is likely headed to the AHL to start 2020 as well.
Roy was selected in the fourth-round (No.96 overall) in the 2015 NHL draft. Since then, Roy has appeared in just seven career NHL games but is coming off of a 17-goal, 19-assist (36 points) season with Charlotte (AHL). Roy will likely start in Chicago (AHL) given the depth of the Golden Knights lineup.
Kiviranta, 23, was an undrafted free agent from Finland, who had 16 goals and 15 assists (31 points) in 48 games with Sport Vaasa of the Finnish Elite League.
In his first season with Montreal, Kulak split his season between the AHL and NHL. The 25-year-old had 11 points (3G / 8A) in 19 games with Laval before adding 17 points (6G / 11A) in 57 games with Montreal. Kulak figures to be a part of the Habs blueline plans to start the 2019-20 season.
Francouz just finished his first full professional season in North America, going 27-20-1 with a 2.68 GAA and .918 SV% in 49 games with the Colorado Eagles (AHL). The 28-year-old Czech netminder also appeared in two games with the Avalanche, stopping 33 of the 35 shots (.943 SV%) he faced in 61 minutes of play. Francouz is expected to start the 2019-20 season with the Eagles.
Nelson is coming off of a career-year, having scored 25 goals and 28 assists (53 points) in 82 games. Nelson has been extremely durable, missing just two games over the last five seasons and figures to continue as the Islanders’ No.2 centre heading into the 2019-20 campaign.
This is a bizarre punishment that we have never seen before but Kadri has effectively been suspended for three-to-five games. William Nylander moved to centre in Game 3 with Kadri suspended and they will likely stick with the same lineup in Game 4 after winning 3-2 last night.
Makar signed his entry-level contract on Sunday and will immediately draw into the Avalanche lineup in Game 3. Makar won the Hobey Baker Award and will be paired with Patrik Nemeth and quarterback the second power-play unit.
