Colorado Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin hopeful to return on Friday

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar provided an update on winger Valeri Nichushkin on Wednesday morning.

According to Bednar, Nichushkin, 29, is unlikely to return to the Avalanche lineup on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, but is hopeful to return on Friday against the Minnesota Wild. The Chelyabinsk, Russia product has missed the last couple of months while spending time with the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and was last in the lineup for the Avs on January 10th. Colorado has gone 11-8-2 in the 21 games that Nichushkin has missed.

Nichushkin has been quite productive when he has been in the lineup for the Avs this season, with 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points in 40 games. Should he play out the rest of the season, he’s on pace for 60 points, which would easily surpass his previous career-high of 52 points achieved in the 2021-22 season.

Nichushkin is a former 10th-overall pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2013 NHL Draft, making his NHL debut the following season. He spent parts of three seasons in Dallas, but after failing to live up to his draft potential, he left in 2016 to play a couple seasons in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. He returned to play for the Stars again in 2018, and after another underwhelming season, he signed with the Avs in 2019, where he’s gone on to finally find success and even win a Stanley Cup in 2022.

Nichushkin is currently in the second year of an eight-year contract with a $6.125 million cap hit, one he signed just a couple days before he would have become a free agent in the 2022 offseason.

The Avalanche currently sit in third in the Central Division with a 38-20-5 record. They’ll look to build on their current run of three wins in four games when they host the Red Wings on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST.