Colorado Avalanche announce Valeri Nichushkin's official return date
Valeri Nichushkin has missed a significant amount of time with the Colorado Avalanche and now the club has announced his official return date.
It's been a great wait for the Colorado Avalanche, and they have tremendously missed their forward Valeri Nichushkin. So far, this has been a grueling one as the Avalanche battle through one injury after another that leaves their roster in thin condition. To add insult to all those issues, Nichushkin has not been able to feature in games because he was placed in the NHL Player Assistance Program. The forward is progressing as he works his way back to game action, though.
Having spent the last few weeks skating alone in Denver, Nichushkin has finally been cleared to skate and practice with the team. While he is not as of yet cleared to play, it represents a move in the right direction regarding his return. With that said, the Avalanche have definitely missed the offense of Nichushkin, particularly in an early season of woe where some of their top guys went down with injuries. There's much excitement over potentially getting him back into the lineup for an offensive boost from a guy now practicing with the team.
He has been in the league's Player Assistance Program since May after a failed drug test resulted in his six-month suspension. He has been very diligent through the process of reinstatement, moving through the stages. His last game with Colorado came this past spring in the playoffs against the Dallas Stars, where Nichushkin left a strong impact. This is, after all, a player who contributed 28 goals and 25 assists in 54 regular-season games last season, a production rate the Avalanche sorely miss.
Barring any setbacks, Nichushkin should return to the Avalanche no later than November 15. That timeline would fit his program's stipulations and couldn't come at a more opportune time for Colorado, who could use his scoring as they are again having trouble finding offense in this young season. Beyond adding some talent up front, Nichushkin's presence would also carry the added bonus of freeing up some pressure from some of their younger kids who have been asked to wear bigger hats in his absence.
The return by Valeri Nichushkin also marked the beginning of his second year in an eight-year, $6.125 million contract with Colorado, now in his sixth season with the team. He has 274 points, including 116 goals, in 512 career games with the Avalanche and Stars. His return could spark a roster that's eager to get over its early-season woes and get back to competitiveness again.
