DATER: Can Galchenyuk Be The Next Nichushkin?

OK, that’s too much to ask of Alex Galchenyuk. It’s too much to expect that there is any chance Gally can turn into the next Valeri Nichushkin – the guy picked up off the scrap heap who goes on to be a star again with the Avalanche.

First off, Galchenyuk doesn’t have the kind of size Big Val has. He’s not the same kind of player. But the point is: maybe, just maybe, the Avalanche have found another potential gem from the recycle bin.

This is a guy who was the third overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft, with Montreal. He’s been a 30-goal scorer, a 20-goal scorer and a two-time 19-goal scorer. Not chopped liver.

His last few years in the NHL, though, have been low-scoring. This will be his seventh NHL team since 2018 (Arizona twice). This guy has really bounced around lately. Why would he suddenly have newfound big success in Colorado?

Well, because this is a damned good team still, and there’s an opening for a guy who can play anywhere from lines 2-4 as a forward.

He’s proven to himself, and the world, that he can score goals at the NHL level. He’s made more than $24 million in his career, so he’s not a man with no unfulfilled dreams. And he’s only 28. That’s young.

He could have a great second act with the Avalanche. This is an easy team for veterans to come onto. He might just have some great pilot light turned back on in his inner recesses. He’s never won much in his career. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to get back on track, win something and not have a ton of pressure on himself to carry the load.

It seems like Galchenyuk has the right attitude here:

I think this could turn out real well for Gally and the Colorado Avalanche. But maybe this is just another pitstop in his now journeyman career? We’ll start to find out soon, as Gally should be in the lineup tomorrow against the Winnipeg Jets.