Avalanche To Activate Valeri Nichushkin From Injured Reserve

The Avalanche are tracking to activate Valeri Nichushkin from injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Devils. Head coach Jared Bednar told Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports that the winger will be an “option” for the contest after missing nearly two months with a lower-body injury. They have an open roster spot and won’t need to make a corresponding transaction.

Nichushkin is coming off his second lengthy absence of the season, although only this one was injury-related. He missed the first 17 games of the campaign while serving the tail end of his automatic six-month suspension for entering Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program during the 2024 postseason.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old Russian remained a top-line threat in his short stint in the lineup between suspension and injury. He made 21 appearances, lighting the lamp 11 times while adding six assists for 17 points while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. He wasn’t as physically involved as usual, averaging under a hit per game, but that’s to be expected for a player getting off to a late start.

An injury against the Jets on New Year’s Eve sidelined that momentum. He was initially ruled day-to-day but sustained multiple setbacks in his recovery, delaying his return to the lineup until after the 4 Nations break. His return couldn’t come at a better time for the Avs, who are now trapped in a wild-card spot after a 9-9-2 run in their last 20. They still have an 87.9% of making the postseason but have just a 27.5% chance of claiming a divisional berth in the Central, per MoneyPuck. They have a 44.8% chance of remaining in their current standing as the first wild card at season’s end.

More to come…