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Valeri Nichushkin, Colorado Avalanche (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Colorado Avalanche 2024-25 Player Report Card: Valeri Nichushkin

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ryan Womeldorf | Last updated May 30, 2025 9:55 AM ET

The Colorado Avalanche may have experienced their most challenging season since Cale Makar arrived in Denver. Seemingly half the lineup was missing at various points this season, making it difficult for the Avalanche to find consistency past the top part of the lineup.

A contributing factor to that turmoil was Valeri Nichushkin. Though he remains one of the most versatile and best forwards on the Avalanche, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for him in Denver. Let’s take a closer look at his 2024-25 season and how he grades out.

Missing Time

Nichushkin didn’t have the best start to his season. Given that he was suspended for six months for violations of the substance abuse policy, he was not available to join the team for the start of the regular season. As a result, he didn’t suit up in his first game until Nov. 15.

That would be bad enough to contend with, but it wasn’t the end of the challenges facing Nichushkin. He suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 31 against the Winnipeg Jets, then faced a number of setbacks along the way, ultimately returning to the lineup on Feb. 26.

When all was said and done, Nichushkin managed to play just 43 regular season games, the lowest of his career. He has always had injury issues – 65 games are the most he’s ever played for the Avalanche in a given season – but this season felt like one thing after another.

Up-and-Down Season

Nichushkin came out of the gates slowly, going without a point in his first three games. He eventually found his way, registering 11 points in his first 13 games. Consistency was a challenge for him, as he would put together extended point streaks before going pointless in several contests afterward.

Ultimately, Nichushkin finished with 21 goals and 34 points in 43 games. It was a solid effort, his goal-scoring clip being the second-best of his career (he scored 0.51 goals per game in 2023-24 when he netted a career-high 28 goals). That said, his points per game (0.79) were the lowest in four seasons.

It is hard to fully judge Nichushkin’s season because it almost feels like an incomplete. He missed the start of the season, stayed around six weeks before getting injured, and then missed two months before returning. It’s hard to find any level of consistency when you can’t stay in the lineup.

Grading Nichushkin

Nichushkin is tough to grade because you can see his impact when he’s on the ice. The caveat is that he’s not on the ice nearly as often as he is. Having said that, let’s take a look at Nichushkin’s grade breakdown:

Valeri Nichushkin of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates after a goal against the Dallas Stars in the third period of Game Six of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Nichushkin was very good when he was on the ice. His .48 goals per game was the second-best of his career, though it’s hard to really judge his production given how often he was out of the lineup. Finding consistency is tough when you’re trying to work your way back into the lineup more often than not.

2025-26 and Beyond

At this stage of his career, it is safe to assume that Nichushkin is going to miss substantial time. He has only played more than 60 games twice in his Colorado career and hasn’t hit the mark since the 2021-22 season. The Avalanche will have a quiet draft and face cap challenges, so they will lean heavily on existing pieces like Nichushkin.

When he’s on the ice, Nichushkin is showing himself to be one of the better power forwards in the league. He plays a responsible two-way game, can play anywhere on the top two lines, and has shown the ability to be a 25-30-goal guy. It would be nice to get more than 60 games out of him, but that may be wishful thinking at this point.