It’s that part of the offseason when news lines typically get fewer and fewer, but I guess the NHL didn’t get the memo.
Avalanche GM Joe Sakic and former GM Chris MacFarland already made a deal, swapping Ross Colton and Isak Posch for picks and Magnus Chrona.
Now I’m hearing rumblings about a potential trade involving Valeri Nichushkin and the Avalanche.
It’s entirely possible that my burgundy-and-blue-shaded glasses make accurately valuing Nichushkin difficult, but I can think of like 31 teams that would
love to have Nichushkin’s motor on their side.
I got wind of Val being on the table in late February, as the Avalanche were clearly priming to be very busy at the 2026 trade deadline.
Back then, the question was whether Nichushkin still had the footspeed to effectively use his patented choo-choo train gap control and forechecking.
Val has had various lower-body injuries over the years and famously had to be pushed out on a luggage cart when the Avalanche won the cup in 2022. We all saw that X-ray, and he had a foot— Sort of.
Fast forward to now, and the Avalanche have some work to do to rally the group back together, and don’t have much draft capital or prospects to leverage to fill the roster again.
The situation may call for moving a top-six forward for depth that doesn’t hit the books as hard, given Cale Makar’s contract inflation is undeniable. Not to mention still needing to lock up RFA Jack Drury.
Elliote Freedman gave some insight into Colorado’s thought process right now on 32 Thoughts.
“Colorado is looking for some flexibility, I think. His name (Nichushkin) is out there. We’ll see.”
Val showed enough during the playoffs (in my opinion) and in 2022 to deserve some loyalty and a chance to prove he still has what made him well worth the price tag. I would let him get a camp and season start still in Colorado.
That said, doing so risks confirming onlookers’ doubts among potential suitors. It’s a difficult call and an early test for the return of Joe Sakic as GM.
For now, we will watch the newswire for legitimate reports of a trade.
Tell us what you think in the comments!
