The Colorado Avalanche made light work of the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs. There were concerns about their goaltending, but Alexandar Georgiev proved the doubters wrong and outdueled Connor Hellebuyck. It may have said more about the Jets than the Avalanche, but they also gave the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference a run in the second round. The Dallas Stars eliminated them, but it was a tough road for the Avalanche with the absences of Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin. The Avalanche are trying to return to the Stanley Cup Final after winning in 2022, but they may need to target some trade candidates to make that happen.
It won’t be easy for the Avalanche to improve their team this offseason. Their cap hit is currently $92 million but could find some relief if Gabriel Landeskog and Nichuskin remain off the books with their situations. The Avalanche could use the return of their captain, but it’ll take some gymnastics with the salary cap to make it work.
Of course, there are other ways to get these cap hits off the books, which could be the case for one of those players. It’s hard to see the Avalanche trading Landeskog if he returns from his knee injury, but the early rumors are they won’t have to worry about it. The Avalanche will have to improve their team in other ways.
A disappointing situation for Valeri Nichushkin
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) skates against the Dallas Stars during the third period in game two of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a sensitive subject when examining Nichuskin’s last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. Nichushkin disappeared in back-to-back playoffs, with the most recent ending in him entering the NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program. Our first hope is that Nichuskin finds the help he needs, but the Avalanche must decide whether he has a future with the team. It may be better for Nichushkin if he finds a fresh start elsewhere, so the issue is finding a team willing to acquire him.
If Nichushkin proves he is ready to play, they shouldn’t have trouble finding a team willing to take a chance. He was a valuable player for the Dallas Stars in his rookie and sophomore years but returned to the KHL for two years. When he returned to the Stars, he had a disappointing season with zero goals in 57 games. The Stars traded him to the Avalanche, where he regained some form, but no one expected his role in the 2021-22 season.
Nichushkin had 52 points in 62 games that year and followed it up with 15 in 20 playoff games. He was one of the Avs’ most prominent contributors to their Stanley Cup victory, which earned him an eight-year, $49 million contract. Nichuskin played just 53 games the following year but nearly averaged a point per game.
The 2023 postseason was where Nichushkin’s off-ice issues came to light and was a big reason the Avalanche were upset by the Seattle Kraken in the first round. He bounced back with 53 points in 54 games this year but then went through more issues in the postseason.
The Avalanche can trade him if he agrees to it while in the program, and they’re likely searching for a possible suitor.
Samuel Girard, one of many defensemen
Did the Avalanche add Erik Brannstrom this offseason to have a replacement for Girard? Girard is a left-handed defenseman who played the right side for most of his career. He is good at playing the off-side, but Brannstrom is a more natural fit with a similar physical makeup. Brannstrom also has a cap hit of $4.1 million less than Girard, which would help the Avalanche get under the cap ceiling. They are currently $4.6 million over.
Girard’s Avalanche career started well, rarely missing a game and averaging around 30 points per game. He may not look like an ideal defender with his generous 5-foot-10 listing, but he makes it work with the rest of the elite defense group. However, his small frame is starting to catch up to him since fracturing his sternum during the 2022 playoff run. The injuries began piling up that season, and after a relatively healthy 2022-23, missed another 24 games this season.
Girard would be a valuable piece on any team’s blue line, but the Avalanche have such a deep group that they can afford to lose him and his cap hit. The problem for the Avalanche is Girard is making a lot of money to sit on their third pair. The Avalanche have eight defensemen on their roster. Sean Behrens is also waiting for a spot with prospects like Mikhail Gulyayev, who will soon be coming to North America.
