Avalanche trade Nichushkin to Columbus, continuing roster overhaul
Jun 25, 2026, 3:05 PM
Another piece of the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team is gone.
The Colorado Avalanche traded forward Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday in exchange for three draft picks — a 2026 second-round selection (43rd overall, originally from St. Louis via Pittsburgh), a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. The deal was announced a day before the 2026 NHL Draft.
Nichushkin, 31, spent the last seven seasons in Denver and was a key contributor on the Avs’ run to the Cup in 2022, tallying 28 goals and 43 points in 91 career playoff games with Colorado. This past regular season, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Russian winger posted 17 goals and 49 points in 72 games. He carries four years remaining on his contract at a $6.125 million salary cap hit — a significant number that factored into Colorado’s decision to move him as GM Joe Sakic continues reshaping the roster around Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
The Denver Post reported the trade is the latest in an escalating offseason shakeup for the Avs, who also recently dealt Jack Drury to Nashville in a separate move to former GM Chris MacFarland and the Predators. For Columbus, GM Don Waddell called Nichushkin “a big, strong forward who skates exceptionally well, can score goals, win puck battles and doesn’t shy away from playing in the hard areas.”
Over his career — 627 games split between Colorado and Dallas — Nichushkin has compiled 154 goals, 203 assists and 357 points while maintaining a cumulative plus-109 rating. His departure marks another farewell for Avs fans still holding onto 2022, as the franchise continues turning the page toward its next championship window.
