Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin set to return after eight-game absence

A notable player is set to return to action.

When speaking to the media, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar stated that forward Valeri Nichushkin will be in the lineup when the team hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

Nichushkin has been out of action for the past eight games due to a lower-body injury. When Bednar first reported the news last month, he noted that the Russian winger was “going to miss some time,” but never had a definitive timeline for a potential return.

The 30-year-old last placed on Nov. 11, posting an assist in a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Something might’ve seemed amiss then, as Nichushkin registered a season-low 12:57 of ice time.

Despite his absence, the Avs have been doing fine, maintaining their status as one of the top teams in the league. Colorado posted a record of 7-0-1 with Nichushkin on the shelf, with the only blemish coming with a shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild last Friday.

Nichushkin had played in each of the first 17 games of the season, having scored five goals and seven assists for 12 points. He has a plus/minus of +2, while averaging just under 18 minutes per game.

Despite being one of the better players in the game, Nichuskin’s health and off-ice problems have kept him from playing 80 games in a single NHL season. In January 2024, he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. A few months later, he was placed in Stage 3 of the program, as he would be suspended without pay for a minimum of six months. He finally returned to the Avs lineup last November, playing 43 games during the 2024-25 season, totaling 34 points.

The Avalanche (18-1-6) is the only team in the NHL with fewer than five regulation losses this year, and is the only squad to hit the 40-point mark.