“Top priority for us this offseason” – Valeri Nichushkin agrees to eight-year contract with Colorado Avalanche

“Top priority for us this offseason” – Valeri Nichushkin agrees to eight-year contract with Colorado Avalanche

Valeri Nichushkin

Russian ice hockey right winger Valeri Nichushkin signed an eight-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche (financial details not disclosed) on Monday. The Chelyabinsk native forward could have become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday (July 13).

Nichushkin, 27, set the National Hockey League (NHL) career highs in goals (25), assists (27) and points (52) in 62 games this season. He had 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Avalanche win the championship for the first time since 2001.

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“Signing ‘Val’ to a long-term deal was a top priority for us this offseason as he would have been one of the most sought-after forwards on the open market,” Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic said, as quoted by NHL.com. “Val is a big, strong, fast, tenacious winger who is relentless on the puck. He can play on the first line with our top guys, you can move him up and down the lineup. He plays power play, penalty kill, any situation you need him to.”

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“Nichushkin, a huge reason why we won the Stanley Cup”

Valeri Nichushkin
Valeri Nichushkin

Picked by the Dallas Stars in the first round (No. 10) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Nichushkin has 174 points (71 goals, 103 assists) in 405 regular-season games alongside 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 62 playoff games.

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Valeri Nichushkin was plagued by injuries in his sophomore season, and his performance suffered over the next two seasons. Notably, he played through a gruesome foot injury in Colorado’s Cup-clinching Game 6 that he suffered in Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He added: “He works hard off the ice as well in the gym and is a humble person and great teammate. He is such an important player in our lineup and a huge reason why we won the Stanley Cup.”

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