The Columbus Blue Jackets made one of the more notable moves of the offseason by acquiring Valeri Nichushkin from the Colorado Avalanche. The deal sends a 2026 second-round pick, Columbus’s third-round pick in 2027, and a fifth-round pick in 2028 to Colorado.
For Columbus, the appeal is clear. Nichushkin brings size, scoring touch, and a track record of handling tough minutes, giving the Blue Jackets a forward who can impact both ends of the ice.
A proven scorer with playoff pedigree
Nichushkin has produced 154 goals and 203 assists for 357 points in 627 career NHL games across 11 seasons with the Avalanche and Dallas Stars. He also owns 41 power-play goals, 24 game-winning goals, six shorthanded goals, and a cumulative plus-109 rating while averaging 16:25 of ice time.
In 72 games last season, the 31-year-old recorded 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points, added 26 penalty minutes, and finished plus-9 while averaging 17:44 per game. Don Waddell called him “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,” adding that Columbus is “very excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets family.”
What Nichushkin has done in Colorado
Over seven seasons with the Avalanche, Nichushkin became a major part of the lineup. He scored 131 goals and 152 assists for 283 points in 404 games, and ranked fourth on the club in goals, points, and shots, fifth in plus/minus, and sixth in assists.
His best stretch in Colorado included five straight seasons with at least 17 goals, four 40-point seasons, three 20-goal campaigns, and two 50-point seasons. He reached a career-high 28 goals and 53 points in 54 games in 2023-24, and posted 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games in 2021-22.
Strong playoff résumé
Nichushkin has also been productive in the postseason, where he has 28 goals and 15 assists for 43 points in 91 playoff games. He has added six power-play goals and four game-winners in nine playoff runs.
His biggest postseason contribution came during Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup championship, when he put up nine goals and six assists for 15 points in 20 games and led all players in goals during the Stanley Cup Final with four.
From Dallas first-round pick to Columbus
Selected by Dallas 10th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, Nichushkin debuted with a 14-goal, 34-point rookie season in 2013-14. He later recorded 74 points in 223 games with the Stars before spending the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons with CSKA in the KHL.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound winger signed with Colorado as a free agent in August 2019 and has been a consistent producer ever since. Now he joins a Blue Jackets team that is paying a premium for size, scoring, and playoff experience.
