Aarif Deen
The Colorado Avalanche made another significant trade on Thursday, sending veteran winger Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2026 second-round draft pick, 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fifth round pick.
He joins Ross Colton and Jack Drury as regular forwards from the roster who have been shipped out over the past nine days.
Nichushkin, 31, was one of the longest tenured Avalanche players before the move. He signed a one-year prove-it deal with Colorado in the summer of 2019 and earned two more contracts after that. Following the successful 2022 Stanley Cup championship, Nichuhskin, who was a pending unrestricted free agent at the time, signed a max-term eight-year extension with the Avalanche worth $49 million.
The deal was mostly front-loaded, with Nichushkin getting paid nearly $29 million in the first four years. He now joins the Blue Jackets with four years remaining on his deal at a $6.125 million cap hit.
In 404 career regular-season games, Nichushkin recorded 131 goals, 152 assists, and 283 points. He also added 27 goals and 40 points in 74 playoff games. His best years came between 2023 and 2025, with the 2023-24 season being far and away his best.
In 2023-24, Nichushkin played 62 games combined between the regular season and playoffs. He compiled 37 goals and 26 assists, including nine in eight games in the postseason.