10 Takeaways: Brock Nelson Plays 1000th Career Game; Wedgewood’s Milestone

Perry Nelson-Imagn ImagesPerry Nelson-Imagn Images

Congratulations are in order for Avalanche centerman Brock Nelson, who dressed in his 1,000th career NHL game on Monday night.

Drafted No. 30 overall in 2010, Nelson didn’t make his NHL debut until three years later, suiting up for the New York Islanders on Oct. 4, 2013. Nelson has only missed 22 games since then.

In fact, since his debut, Nelson’s 1,000 regular-season games are the fourth most in the NHL, trailing behind third-place Brendon Dillon, second-place Claude Giroux, and at the top of the list, teammate Brent Burns. He is 17th in goals since then.

Nelson has solidified the No. 2 center role for Colorado. Ever since Nazem Kadri departed in August 2022, the Avs struggled to find a good fit, jumping from Alex Newhook, to J.T. Compher, Ryan Johansen, and Casey Mittelstadt before landing on Nelson.

He’s been such a great fit that, even with Kadri’s return to Colorado last month, Nelson remains the second-line center.

In 80 games this season, Nelson has 33 goals, 32 assists, and 65 points, while playing a career-high 19:39 per game. His nine game-winning goals is also a personal best.

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10 Takeaways

1. Stick taps to Scott Wedgewood for reaching 30 wins in a single season for the first time in his career. He’s one of only eight goalies to reach the mark this year.

2. Wedgewood came to Colorado with 49 wins in eight and a half years in the NHL. Since arriving, he has 43 wins in fewer than 17 months. The start in Edmonton was his 42nd of the season, meaning he will have been the goalie of choice for more than half the season for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche.

3. By stopping 30 of 31 shots, Wedgewood’s save percentage rose to .920, as he continues to lead the league in that department. He’s the only goalie in the .920 range.

4. Wedgewood has only given up 16 goals in 12 games (9-2-1) since returning from the Olympic break. Three of those goals came on five shots in a game he was pulled against the Penguins. He has been insanely consistent in the rest of his appearances.

5. Artturi Lehkonen sat out this game, becoming the first player to rest before the playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprirsed if having Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, and Josh Manson out with injuries made it more difficult to sit other guys.

6. I wouldn’t be surprised if Makar plays in Calgary, given that he was a full participant in morning skate before the Oilers game. This is a prediction on my behalf, but it would make sense. Jared Bednar has said time and time again that he’s going to get Makar back in for at least a game before the playoffs to help him find a rhythm again.

7. If Makar plays, do you explore the idea of sitting Devon Toews? That’s a defenseman I could see earning a day off against the lowly Flames. Toews played 31:21 in Edmonton.

8. Make that 39 points in 80 games for Sam Malinski, who scored his eighth goal of the season on Monday. Malinski is two points in two games away from finishing the season with precisely 0.5 points per game — a solid mark for a puck-moving defenseman.

9. Malinski has five goals, five assists, and 10 points in his last 11 games. Makar didn’t dress in seven of those games, giving Malinski and other guys (like Toews) more opportunities to pick up points. It’s safe to say they haven’t disappointed.

10. I can’t believe it took this long into the season for the Avs to figure out which three guys to use in the shootout, and the move that works best for each of them. Valeri Nichushkin and Martin Necas keep beating goalies with the same play. And MacKinnon used the same speed skate-stop-wrist shot routine he used at Ball Arena against Minnesota a little over a month ago.

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