Valeri Nichushkin has suddenly become a darn good player with the Avalanche

TORONTO – Wanting to know who the quietest player on the Colorado Avalanche is? Without a doubt, it’s Valeri Nichushkin. Some of that might be a language thing. Then again, maybe not. While Russian, Nichushkin seems to understand what’s said to him in English. But ask him to talk, and most of the time it’s “Nyet.”

That’s OK, at least he’s friendly about it. He reminds me a lot of another ex-Avs Russian player, Alexei Gusarov. Hell, his English was probably better than some Americans, but The Goose always pretended he didn’t understand the questions, or would promise to “talk tomorrow.” Tomorrow never came.

Nichushkin keeps to himself in the locker room, not just with the press. That seems fine with his teammates, too. Some guys are just not big gabbers.