The Colorado Avalanche have locked up their man.
Mere days before the start of free-agent frenzy, the Colorado Avalanche took one of the biggest names off the board by agreeing to terms with forward Valeri Nichushkin on a massive eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $6.125 million.
The deal, which now ties Nichushkin to Colorado through the 2029-30 season, includes a full no-move clause for the first three years before decreasing to a 12-team no-trade clause from years four to six.
It’s incredible to think of Nichushkin’s rise over the past three years.
Back in 2019, the Dallas Stars opted to buy Nichushkin out of the final year of his deal, forcing the Russian to sign a one-year “prove it” contract with the Avalanche for just $850,000.
In the years since, Nichushkin has now developed into one of the league’s top power forwards, an offensive force who is also among the best defensive wingers in the entire NHL. Of course, Nichushkin’s legend grew to new heights during the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup run this summer, with the 27-year-old racking up nine goals and 15 points in 20 postseason games to go along with his regular-season stat line of 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games.
By locking in Nichushkin, the Avalanche ensure that the fearsome two-way forward remains in the organization throughout the entirety of his prime years.
The cap hit might not be of value, but it’s likely Nichushkin would have fetched more on the open market anyway. And when it comes to high-priced investments, teams will typically go with the known commodity, as Nichushkin did experience his breakout in the Avalanche organization and is already established as a perfect fit in their fearsome system.
It’s been a busy few weeks for the Avalanche as they stock up to defend their title this coming season.
With Nichushkin back on board, their offseason just got a lot less stressful.
