Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Adds two helpers in win
Rotowire
Nichushkin notched two assists in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Kraken.
Nichushkin helped out on a Samuel Girard game-tying goal in the second period and a Nathan MacKinnon empty-netter in the third. The 30-year-old Nichushkin is up to three goals and three helpers over eight games in December. For the season, the winger has 18 points, 63 shots on net, 23 hits and a plus-4 rating across 25 appearances as a steady part of the Avalanche's top six.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Fills empty cage
Rotowire
Nichushkin scored an empty-net goal on eight shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Predators.
Nichushkin has three goals and a helper over his last seven games. The 30-year-old winger is up to eight goals, 16 points, 62 shots, 23 hits and a plus-3 rating through 24 appearances. He's far away from being a leader scorer for the Avalanche, but Nichushkin's steady top-six usage makes him a reliable winger in fantasy.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Finds twine Sunday
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Nichushkin scored a goal, put two shots on net and dished out two hits in Sunday's 3-2 win over Philadelphia.
Nichushkin tallied his goal just under two minutes into the second period, and it would ultimately stand as Sunday's game-winner. The 30-year-old winger is up to seven goals, 14 points and 50 shots on goal through 21 games this season. He has two goals in his last four games since returning from a lower-body injury. If he can stay healthy, Nichushkin will remain a solid option in most fantasy formats while skating within Colorado's top nine and seeing power-play time. He's averaging a hit per game this season to complement his point production.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Tallies first goal since return
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Nichushkin scored a goal, put three shots on net and dished out two hits in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Islanders.
Nichushkin helped stop the slide in Thursday's game, as his goal put the Avalanche on the board to trail 4-1 midway through the second period. With the score, the 30-year-old winger is up to six goals, seven assists and 46 shots on goal through 19 games this season. His tally Thursday was his first point since returning from a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup for eight games. He currently occupies a winger role on Colorado's third line, but the team's top nine has been exceptional this season, leaving Nichushkin in a solid spot to produce points regardless of his assignment. Staying on the ice has been an issue for the left winger, but if he can play in the majority of games this season for the Avalanche, Nichushkin could contend for a career high in points at his current pace. He's a decent waiver-wire pickup with high upside in nearly all formats.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Ready to rock
Rotowire
Nichushkin (lower body) will return to the lineup against Vancouver on Tuesday, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Following an eight-game absence, Nichushkin will probably occupy a middle-six role. He has produced five goals, 12 points, 41 shots on net and 16 hits in 17 appearances this season.
Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Classified as week-to-week
Rotowire
Nichushkin (lower body) was labeled as week-to-week by the Avs on Thursday, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Nichushkin is currently mired in a seven-game goal drought during which he registered just 10 shots -- though he did chip in five helpers over that stretch, including a pair with the man advantage. Without the 30-year-old winger in the lineup, Artturi Lehkonen figures to step into a first-line role alongside Nathan MacKinnon. Given Nichushkin's timeline, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him land on injured reserve in the coming days.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Will miss some time
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Although there's no timetable for Nichushkin (lower body) yet, he will at least miss some action, Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports reports Wednesday.
Nichushkin suffered the injury during Tuesday's 4-1 win over Anaheim. He has five goals and 12 points in 17 outings this year. Given that Nichushkin isn't expected to play Thursday against Buffalo, Colorado will need to summon a player from the minors because the Avalanche are down to 11 healthy forwards and six healthy defensemen.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Set for further evaluation
Rotowire
Nichushkin sustained a lower-body injury Tuesday versus the Ducks and will be evaluated further Wednesday, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports.
Nichushkin picked up an assist in 12:57 of ice time prior to his exit. The 30-year-old winger can be considered day-to-day until more information is available. The Avalanche's next game is Thursday versus the Sabres. If Nichushkin misses time, the Avalanche will likely need to make a roster move, while Victor Olofsson, Gavin Brindley or Gabriel Landeskog could gain extra ice time.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Generates two assists in win
Rotowire
Nichushkin earned two assists, including one on the power play, and added two PIM in Sunday's 5-4 overtime win over the Canucks.
This was Nichushkin's first multi-point effort since his two-goal game versus the Hurricanes on Oct. 23. The 30-year-old winger is up to 11 points (three on the power play) with 40 shots on net, 16 hits and a plus-2 rating over 16 appearances. He remains in a second-line role, and while he's seeing ample power-play time, he hasn't been able to get as involved in that situation as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar or Martin Necas.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Nets fifth goal
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Nichushkin scored a goal on three shots on goal and had a plus-1 rating during his 17:47 of ice time in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Devils.
Nichushkin has been enjoying a good start to the season, especially from a goal-scoring perspective. The 30-year-old is up to five goals and seven points through the first 10 games of the year. Playing a top-six role among a loaded Avalanche forward group has Nichushkin in good position to continue scoring at a high level.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Scores pair of goals
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Nichushkin scored two goals on seven shots and added two PIM in Thursday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Hurricanes.
Nichushkin got the Avalanche on the board at 4:04 of the first period and tied the game a second time with a power-play tally at 14:09 of the third. This was his second multi-goal effort of the season. Nichushkin has four goals, one assist, 22 shots on net, eight hits and a plus-2 rating over eight appearances. He's off to an inconsistent start in a second-line role, but he's still in a good position to push for 20-plus goals and 50-plus points if he can stay healthy.
Nichushkin scored two goals Thursday in a 4-1 win over Columbus.
They were his first two goals of the season. Nichushkin's first came four seconds from the end of the second period, when he redirected a shot by Sam Malinski under the glove of Elvis Merzlikins. Nichushkin's second went into an empty net. Nichushkin has three points (two goals, one assist) in his last two games.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Gets first point of season
Rotowire
Nichushkin logged an assist and a plus-1 rating in Monday's 3-1 win over the Sabres.
It took four games, but Nichushkin finally got on the scoresheet Monday, setting up Cale Makar's first goal of the campaign early in the middle frame. The 30-year-old Nichushkin is skating in a top-six role while working with the No. 2 power-play unit to start the year, so he should eventually pick up steam on offense on a high-flying Colorado squad.
Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Registers helper in Game 7 loss
Rotowire
Nichushkin notched an assist, four hits and two blocked shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Stars in Game 7.
Nichushkin helped out on a Nathan MacKinnon tally early in the third period. Over seven playoff contests, Nichushkin had three goals, one assist, 13 shots on net, 20 hits, four blocked shots and a plus-1 rating. The 30-year-old winger put up 34 points in 43 regular-season outings in 2024-25. Between injuries and suspensions, he hasn't played in more than 65 games in any of the last seven years, but when healthy, he's an excellent complementary forward who figures to be part of Colorado's core for the better part of the rest of the decade.
Nichushkin scored two goals, added five hits and went plus-2 in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Stars in Game 6.
Nichushkin opened the scoring at 6:29 of the first period and retied the game at 4-4 in the third. The winger hasn't done a lot in this series, producing three goals on 12 shots, 16 hits and a plus-2 rating over six outings. The 30-year-old continues to play in a top-six role, but he's also slightly limited with a spot on the second power-play unit.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Nets lone goal in loss
Rotowire
Nichushkin scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Stars in Game 3.
The goal was Nichushkin's first point of the series. He's added eight shots on net, six hits and a plus-1 rating over three contests. Nichushkin is locked in as a top-six winger, though his minutes could be threatened if Gabriel Landeskog can get up to full speed during the playoffs, assuming the Avalanche can turn things around after falling behind 2-1 in the series Wednesday.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Playing Saturday
Rotowire
Nichushkin (lower body) will be in the lineup versus Dallas on Saturday, per Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports.
Nichushkin sat out last Sunday's 4-2 win over Anaheim but had plenty of time to recover. He had 21 goals and 34 points in just 43 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. Nichushkin will occupy a top-six spot and could see time on the first power-play unit versus the Stars.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Not playing Sunday
Rotowire
Nichushkin (lower body) will not be in the lineup Sunday in Anaheim, according to Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports.
Nichushkin will conclude the regular season having generated 21 goals and 34 points over 43 appearances. The left-shot winger's status ahead of the postseason is now unclear, but he has multiple days to try to get as healthy as possible. The Avalanche have a first-round series against the Stars on tap, with Game 1 potentially taking place April 19.
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