Avalanche trade Valeri Nichushkin: Instant reaction, analysis

Nichushkin, 31, is signed through the 2029-30 season at a $6.125M salary. Instead of being the fifth-highest-paid forward with the Avalanche, Nichushkin is now the highest-paid forward in Columbus, before any additional moves the team may make this offseason.

Despite being a first-round pick of the Dallas Stars back in the 2013 NHL Draft, Nichushkin moved to Colorado as a non-tendered unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2019-20 season. It turned out to be one of the more prudent free agent additions for the Avalanche in recent memory.

Since joining the Avalanche, Nichushkin has scored 131 goals and 283 points in 404 games, averaging approximately 18 minutes of ice time per game. He’s been equally productive in the postseason, registering 27 goals and 40 points in 74 postseason games in the burgundy and blue, helping Colorado to the franchise’s third Stanley Cup championship in 2022.

As much as his offensive contributions and 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame have been a boon to Colorado in the postseason, Nichushkin has had some significant injury concerns over the past several years. Dating back to the 2021-22 campaign, Nichushkin has only been available for approximately 65% of Colorado’s regular-season contests.

Regardless, that’s seemingly a risk the Blue Jackets are willing to take, especially given the price. Yes, the Blue Jackets are down to only one selection in the top-65 of this weekend’s draft, but they have now found a replacement for Mason Marchment without having to part with a first-round selection.

If Nichushkin can remain healthy for the Blue Jackets, he should be able to give them a 20-goal, 50-point campaign. Columbus already added some additional top-six scoring on the right side by acquiring Conor Garland at last year’s deadline, and now they have Nichushkin to put on the left. He may not be as overtly physical as Marchment, but Nichushkin has nearly 40 more games of postseason experience under his belt.

Make no mistake, that’s what motivated this trade. As much as the Blue Jackets may have hoped to keep Marchment, they are clearly not going to sit on their hands to see if he accepts their extension offer. Instead, Columbus pivoted toward Nichushkin, with the hope of returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Meanwhile, barring any additional moves, the Avalanche will head into the 2026 NHL Draft with approximately $11M in cap space and 10 selections after the first round. Still, as previously mentioned, although Colorado is expected to make more additions to the roster, much of the motivation behind this trade is the looming extension for Makar, which could reach $20M a season.