Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Goal, assist in Friday's win
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Nichushkin scored a goal on three shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Friday's 4-2 win over the Ducks.
Nichushkin has scored in three straight games. The 29-year-old winger's strong play has allowed head coach Jared Bednar to spread out the Avalanche's top talent across two lines. Nichushkin has 10 goals, five assists, 42 shots on net, 15 hits and a plus-2 rating through 18 appearances. He's typically been a strong fantasy option when available over the last three seasons, and that's especially true when he's on the top line as he is now.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Strikes for power-play goal
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Nichushkin scored a power-play goal on five shots, blocked three shots and added two PIM in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Sharks.
Nichushkin has scored in back-to-back contests for the third time this season. The 29-year-old opened the scoring at 3:40 of the first period. He's up to nine goals (two on the power play), four assists, 39 shots on net, 14 hits and an even plus-minus rating over 17 appearances. Nichushkin was on the top line Thursday after playing the bulk of his time on the second line, though any spot in the Avalanche's top six should be enough for him to stay productive.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Lights lamp Monday
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Nichushkin scored a goal in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Canucks.
Nichushkin recently went on a four-game point streak from Dec. 5-10, notching four goals and one assist in that span, and he found twine again Monday to score Colorado's lone goal of the contest. The Russian winger is up to eight goals and 12 points across 16 outings this season. He should continue to find ample opportunities to produce due to his role on the top six and first power-play unit.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: On four-game point streak
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Nichushkin scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Penguins.
Nichushkin has four goals and one assist during his four-game point streak. For the season, the winger has seven tallies, 11 points, 26 shots on net, eight hits and a plus-3 rating over 13 appearances. Nichushkin has fit right in on the second line, and he should be on most fantasy rosters as long as he's scoring at such an impressive rate.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Nabs helper in Sunday's win
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Nichushkin had an assist and went plus-3 in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Devils.
Nichushkin has three goals and an assist over his last three games. The 29-year-old winger helped out on Ross Colton's first-period marker, and those two players being healthy and productive seems to have lifted Casey Mittelstadt out of a funk. Nichushkin is at 10 points, 24 shots on net and a plus-2 rating over 12 appearances this season, picking up where he left off after posting 53 points in 54 regular-season outings a year ago.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Another goal Saturday
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Nichushkin scored a goal in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Red Wings.
Nichushkin has been one of the Avalanche's best players recently, with five goals over his last six appearances. The 29-year-old Russian winger has been limited to just 11 contests so far in 2024-25, but he's making the most of his time on the ice with nine points (six goals, three assists) in that span.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Pots two tallies in loss
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Nichushkin scored two goals in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Hurricanes.
Both goals came late in the third period as the Avalanche tried to rally from a 3-1 deficit, but each time Nichushkin found the back of the net, the Hurricanes responded to re-establish a two-goal cushion. It's the first multi-goal performance of the season for the 29-year-old winger, and in 10 games since making his season debut in mid-November, Nichushkin has five goals and eight points.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Scores with man advantage
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Nichushkin scored a power-play goal on two shots and added three hits in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Stars.
Nichushkin's tally in the first period briefly tied the game at 1-1, but the Stars took the lead for good just 32 seconds later. The 29-year-old has scored in three of the last four games and is thriving since swapping places with Mikko Rantanen. Nichushkin is up to three goals, three assists, 14 shots on net, six hits and an even plus-minus rating over seven appearances, and his tally Friday was his first power-play point of the season.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Comes up clutch Wednesday
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Nichushkin scored a goal on four shots in Wednesday's 2-1 shootout win over the Golden Knights.
Nichushkin scored just 33 seconds after Pavel Dorofeyev in the second period, tying the game at 1-1. In the shootout, Nichushkin was the only player to score over five rounds to secure the Avalanche's win. The 29-year-old winger has two goals and three helpers over his last three contests and looks right back at home in a top-six role. He's at five points, 12 shots on net, three hits, four blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over six appearances this season.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Three points in big win
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Nichushkin scored a goal and added two assists in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Panthers.
After helping to set up tallies by Samuel Girard and Oliver Kylington earlier in the night, Nichushkin capped the scoring for the Avs with an empty-netter. The points were the first of the season for the 29-year-old winger in four games, and he's settling in on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Mikko Rantanen.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Returns to action Friday
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Nichushkin made his season debut in a 5-2 loss to the Capitals on Friday.
Nichushkin received 19:27 of ice time, and he accounted for one shot, one block and a minus-3 rating. It was the Russian forward's first game of the 2024-25 campaign after being suspended for six months. Nichushkin will likely need some time to get his feet under him, but when he does, he should produce at close to a point-per-game pace.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Activated Friday
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Nichushkin (suspension) is listed on the Avs' roster ahead of Friday's matchup with Washington, per the NHL media site.
Nichushkin was previously expected to return for Friday's contest but still needed to be reinstated, a move that appears to have gone off without a hitch. With the 29-year-old winger set to make his 2024-25 season debut, he figures to slot into a second-line role alongside Casey Mittelstadt and Artturi Lehkonen and should see some power-play minutes as well.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Expected back Nov. 15
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Nichushkin (suspension) is set to return to action against the Capitals on Nov. 15 as long as his reinstatement goes as planned, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Nichushkin will have to wait five more games to make his 2024-25 season debut after entering Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Assuming he is reinstated as expected, Nichushkin will likely push for a top-six role and could be in the mix for power-play minutes as well. Despite being limited to just 54 regular-season games last year, Nichushkin still managed to set new career highs in goals (28) and points (53).
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Receives green light to practice
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Nichushkin (suspension) was cleared to practice with Colorado on Monday.
Nichushkin remains in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He was suspended for at least six months in May for violating the treatment plan and still has to apply for reinstatement. Still, this is a step in the right direction for the 29-year-old forward. He amassed 28 goals, 53 points, 158 shots on net and 74 hits across 54 regular-season appearances in 2023-24.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Skates Friday
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Nichushkin (suspension) skated with the team's skills coach and a staff member Friday after his Avalanche teammates finished practice, Colleen Flynn of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said Nichushkin has been skating at the facility for a couple of weeks, but the forward is not yet allowed around his teammates until the NHL clears him. The 29-year-old Nichushkin was suspended in May for at least six months and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The six-month minimum ends in mid-November, and Bednar hopes Nichushkin can start practicing with the team soon.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Arrives in Denver
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Nichushkin (suspension) has arrived in Denver to do workouts and skate on his own, the Avalanche announced Saturday.
Nichushkin is serving a suspension of at least six months after entering Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in May. He is not eligible to apply for reinstatement until November. Nichushkin was outstanding in 2023-24, picking up 28 goals and 53 points in 54 regular-season appearances. He will be a top-six forward for the Avalanche upon his return.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Not in Denver yet
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Nichushkin (suspension) is expected to arrive in Denver in late October, according to Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now on Tuesday.
Nichushkin should be back on the ice with his teammates at some point in November. He was placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in May for violating the treatment plan and suspended for at least six months. Nichushkin is eligible to apply for reinstatement in November. He produced 28 goals and 53 points in 54 regular-season contests with the Avalanche in 2023-24.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Timeline to return uncertain
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Nichushkin (suspension) does not have a clear timeline to return to the Avalanche, Ryan Boulding of NHL.com reports.
Nichushkin is listed on the Avalanche's training camp roster, but he is not eligible to participate or play in regular-season games until mid-November. Head coach Jared Bednar said the team will have multiple meetings to address the situation ahead of the winger's reintegration with the club. Nichushkin remains in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Back in assistance program
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Nichushkin was placed in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Monday and will be suspended for six months.
Nichushkin was in the program during the regular season, missing 22 games as a result. Now, he's in Stage 3 of the program and will need to apply for reinstatement after a six-month suspension. He scored 28 goals and 53 points through 54 games this season. Nichushkin also racked up nine goals and 10 points through eight playoff games. With him out, Zach Parise could see a bump in playing time.
Nichushkin scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Stars in Game 2.
Nichushkin's tally brought the Avalanche within a goal late in the third period, but they couldn't pull off another stunning comeback. The winger has at least one goal in all seven playoff contests so far, scoring nine times with one assist, 24 shots on net, 18 hits and a plus-3 rating over that stretch. Nichushkin was shuffled to the second line during Thursday's game, but that's unlikely to hamper his production even if it ends up being a permanent move.
