Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin is expected to miss a month of action after undergoing surgery to address an ankle injury, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters on Tuesday.
Nichushkin, 27, has seven goals and 12 points in seven games with the Avalanche to start the 2022–23 regular season. He hasn’t played a game since Oct. 25 against the New York Rangers.
Bednar also provided updates on the status of defensemen Bowen Byram and Samuel Girard. Byram, who missed the Avs’ last game, is week-to-week with a lower-body injury; Girard has been healthy all season but is currently day-to-day (undisclosed).
Nichushkin was a key weapon for the Avalanche in their run to the 2022 Stanley Cup championship. After recording 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games during the 2021–22 regular season, the big winger added nine goals and 15 points in 20 playoff contests to help Colorado claim its third Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Avalanche subsequently signed Nichushkin, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent, to an eight-year, $6.125 million-AAV contract on July 11. The deal will keep Nichushkin under contract until 2030.
The Dallas Stars originally selected Nichushkin in the first round (No. 10 overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. The 6-4, 210-pound forward spent parts of four seasons in Dallas but was bought out of his contract by the club in 2019 after scoring zero goals and 10 assists in 57 games during the 2018–19 regular season.
In 412 career NHL games with the Stars and Avalanche over parts of eight regular seasons, Nichushkin has amassed 78 goals and 186 points. He’s added 13 goals and 24 points in 62 career playoff contests.
The Avalanche currently rank third in the NHL’s Central Division with a 6–4–1 record through 11 games.
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