Aarif Deen
It appears that Valeri Nichushkin’s name is starting to pop up in trade talks, according to a recent report from Sportsnet’s NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
Speaking on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said he’s starting to hear Nichushkin’s name a little bit.
“Colorado is looking for some flexibility, I think. His name is out there. We’ll see,” Friedman said on the Monday morning episode.
Nichushkin is halfway through an eight-year contract carrying a $6.125 million AAV. His deal was heavily front-loaded, as the Avs have already paid out nearly $29 million of the $49 million salary through the first four years.
The Avalanche already traded Ross Colton to clear up $4 million in cap space, but, as Friedman said, could be looking for more flexibility to get younger, add to their blueline, and potentially re-sign Jack Drury. General manager Joe Sakic is in a somewhat favorable spot this summer, where most of his roster is already signed, and he could simply fill out the last few spots around the edges and enter the season with a talented lineup.
But he also might use what’s already looking like an active offseason to refresh his lineup a little bit. Nichushkin has been with the Avalanche since 2019, making him the fifth-longest tenured Av behind Gabe Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Logan O’Connor, and Cale Makar.
He’s also 31 years old and is part of a quickly aging Avalanche core. Of Colorado’s top seven forwards, 27-year-old Martin Necas is the only one under the age of 30.
Nichushkin has a 12-team no-trade list. He is set to earn a $1 million bonus and a $4.8 million base salary in 2026-27.