Avalanche Roster Reshaped
Colorado Avalanche Trades Valeri Nichushkin to Blue Jackets, Opens Cap Space for Future Plans
Key Points
Columbus GM Don Waddell described Nichushkin as “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,” underscoring his two-way value for the Jackets.
Nichushkin’s playoff track record includes 40 points in 74 postseason games with Colorado, highlighted by his role in the 2022 Cup run while dealing with a broken right foot.
Colorado’s cap situation after the trade leaves just under $11 million in space with 17 roster spots filled and only four defensemen on the roster, signaling a shift toward strengthening the back end and planning for the long term.
The trade includes three picks: a 2026 second-round pick (43rd overall), a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fifth-round pick, helping Colorado replenish draft capital after other offseason moves.
In his career, Nichushkin has tallied 357 points (154 goals, 203 assists) in 627 NHL games, including 41 power-play goals and 24 game-winning goals, highlighting his sustained value as a two-way winger.
The Colorado Avalanche traded winger Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 25 for three draft picks: a 2026 second-rounder (43rd overall), a 2027 third-rounder, and a 2028 fifth-rounder, according to CBS News. The move strips $6.125 million off Colorado's payroll and clears roughly $11 million in total cap space heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.
The deal is the third major roster move in ten days for Colorado. The Avalanche previously shipped Ross Colton to Nashville on June 16 and Jack Drury on June 24, per 9News Denver. The rapid selloff signals a full strategic pivot away from the 2022 Stanley Cup roster — and toward locking up superstar defenseman Cale Makar long term.
Makar Extension Drives Colorado's Salary Cap Overhaul
Makar, 27, is the engine behind this roster teardown. He is eligible for a new contract starting July 1, and figures as high as $13 million to $15 million per year are being discussed, according to The Hockey News. General manager Joe Sakic, who returned to daily GM duties after Chris MacFarland left for Nashville, has made keeping Makar a, quote, "lifelong Avalanche" the organization's top mandate.
Colorado now carries only 17 of 23 roster spots filled with $11 million in space, per theScore. Critically, only four defensemen are currently under contract. That thin blue line means Colorado is expected to be aggressive in free agency on July 1 to find Makar a partner on the back end.
Columbus Gets a Cup Winner With Playoff Pedigree
Nichushkin, 31, brings real postseason experience to a Columbus team pushing for a 2027 playoff spot. He posted 43 points in 91 career playoff games, including 15 points in 20 games during Colorado's 2022 Cup run — famously playing Game 6 of the Finals on a broken right foot, per CBS News. Over his full NHL career, he has 357 points (154 goals, 203 assists) in 627 games.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell praised the fit immediately. He called Nichushkin "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," according to the Associated Press. Columbus absorbs his $6.125 million cap hit for four remaining seasons on his eight-year, $49 million deal.
Off-Ice History Shadowed Nichushkin's Colorado Tenure
Nichushkin's time in Denver was never simple. He entered Stage 3 of the NHL's Player Assistance Program in 2024 and missed a playoff run in 2023 for similar reasons, per CBS News. Colorado grew tired of weighing his elite on-ice production — 17 goals and 49 points in the 2025-26 regular season — against the off-ice uncertainty. The Locked On Blue Jackets podcast noted that his "history" remains the primary risk for Columbus.
Local Denver media framed the trade as a needed "cultural reset." 9News Denver reported that the Avalanche want the remaining core of Nathan MacKinnon and Makar focused, without the distractions that defined the past three seasons. Analyst Pierre McGuire predicted on TSN that the Nichushkin move is not the last — calling it a precursor to "chaos" before the draft as Colorado eyes further defensive upgrades.
Draft Capital Return Seen as Thin but Calculated
Many analysts labeled the return a "salary dump" rather than a true hockey trade. A second, third, and fifth-round package is considered light for a player of Nichushkin's caliber, per Mile High Sticking. However, the picks do help Colorado replenish draft capital after multiple roster-clearing moves that sent away established forwards with little coming back.
The 43rd overall pick — originally tied to St. Louis and Pittsburgh — gives Colorado an immediate asset this weekend. Combined with the later picks, the Avalanche are building a draft-day war chest. With Joe Sakic back in full control, Colorado Hockey Now noted that the same ruthless asset management style that assembled the 2022 championship squad is now being applied to rebuild it.
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