Confirmed Trade: [CBJ/COL] Valeri Nichushkin for 2026 2nd, 2027 3rd, 2028 5th

[bardown on ur 5hole]

i guess columbus got jealous of all that colorado trading with nashville

 

[Hasbro]

The del say for a 2nd, but Sakic needs to make sure it’s not a 3rd cut with baby laxative.

 

[bardown on ur 5hole]

It’s crazy how torn everyone is in this thread about this trade haha.. I’m the other way, I am shocked Avs got this much in return for Nichushkin without retaining any salary… and I quite like Nichushkin lol

i thought the avs would get the ross colton package again. glad the avs were able to move nuke now. he was a huge part of the 22' cup but he's just not the same player he once was.

 

[Osprey]

Hey, I said the Preds! Get my lies straight!

Oh, right. That's the problem with following multiple teams. Sometimes, you get them mixed up.

It's weird to run into you two outside of the Entertainment board.

I had never seen him outside of the Entertainment board until a couple of months ago. Now, I can't get away from him.

 

[PuckFegula]

What is the bag situation like in Columbus anyways?

I don’t know and I’ve never known if anyone tells you otherwise they’re a f***ing liar, I bet it was Tommy, that asshole can’t keep his mouth closed for 2 seconds, hey wanna invest in my crypto/AI/social media startup?

Best of luck to Val, hope he’s healthy and happy.

 

[Riptide]

Clearing space for Robertson and or Larkin.

Robertson was my first thought.

 

[Cogburn]

I want all teams and fans to know, every trade between now and the start of the draft is a giant middle finger to Bettman and co.

Keep em coming.

 

[State of Hockey]

Nichushkin was a cap dump. He fell off significantly and had an awful playoffs. Columbus has the cap room to take on the risk. Crazily he's now their highest cap hit forward. If he rebounds, it's a nice addition for not much. Colorado can't afford another 4 years of his struggles at over 6m per year. A collection of picks, including a fairly high 2nd, seems fair.

 

[Muffin]

Nichushkin was a cap dump. He fell off significantly and had an awful playoffs. Columbus has the cap room to take on the risk. Crazily he's now their highest cap hit forward. If he rebounds, it's a nice addition for not much. Colorado can't afford another 4 years of his struggles at over 6m per year. A collection of picks, including a fairly high 2nd, seems fair.

I don't think you know what a cap dump is.

 

[State of Hockey]

I don't think you know what a cap dump is.

Then enlighten us.

 

[Muffin]

Then enlighten us.

The draft pick would be going the other way if it was a cap dump.

 

[Figgzfood]

I wanted Columbus to try and trade up to get him in the draft, but ended up staying at 14 and taking Wennberg. Funny enough, Nuke is now the 4th player taken ahead of Wennberg in 2013 that wound up on the Jackets.
1/3 of the top 15 of 2013 played for CBJ

 

[LokiDog]

Huh… cheaper than I expected. Also not sure turning Columbus into the Russian national team is what gets W to stay. Actually? Boy convinced Nuke moves the needle for a team like Columbus at all. He makes sense to a contender that needs two way scoring depth; but to a middling team he’s just a middling player.

 

[State of Hockey]

The draft pick would be going the other way if it was a cap dump.

Then your definition of one is very different.

 

[Vukotal Recall]

Well that's certainly blowing a lot of picks

Indeed

 

[LokiDog]

Wow that seems like a shockingly big return for Nuke.. and no salary retention?

… the consensus from virtually everyone seems to be that CBJ got him cheap?

 

[LokiDog]

I will say Columbus seems to continue to be like the “middle six veteran” haven out East. Lots of useful players up front but what exactly do they add up to?

Feels like Nuke kinda slides into the hole left by Jenner.

This is how I feel. Useful player for a team like Minnesota or even SJ. But on a team like CBJ it feels like “just another” 2nd line caliber player. How about something along the lines of Johnson, Voronkov, 14OA for an actual impact piece. It’s like Columbus is always in on adding but it’s always a Coyle or Severson or Monahan. Nuke is the same.

 

[Boreas]

Its a cap dump. Idk why ppl are reacting like its anything else. He was colorados least good player that made significant $. It had to happen. Ofc the return isnt good. It literally had to happen for them to ice a team next season

 

[LokiDog]

Also… I’ve had three cousins go to OSU, to alum and one currently attending… the Jackets are close to the university and that’s not a good environment for anyone with… a problem.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Columbus did well with the Nuke and Garland returns, basically two top 6 wingers for replaceable picks that won’t cost them long term.

 

[LokiDog]

Nichushkin was a cap dump. He fell off significantly and had an awful playoffs. Columbus has the cap room to take on the risk. Crazily he's now their highest cap hit forward. If he rebounds, it's a nice addition for not much. Colorado can't afford another 4 years of his struggles at over 6m per year. A collection of picks, including a fairly high 2nd, seems fair.

I’m fine with the notion that he’s a cap dump after last year but… why did CBJ give up 2nd, 3rd + then? It’s far from paying a premium but cap dumps are usually practically free or come with a sweetener. I can’t really gel with “Colorado was desperate to shed his salary so we gave up 3 picks for him”.

 

[majormajor]

I will say Columbus seems to continue to be like the “middle six veteran” haven out East. Lots of useful players up front but what exactly do they add up to?

I remember when this was the knock on the Islanders. And the Blues before that. All those teams did was win a ton of playoff series.

Obviously the Jackets need Fantilli to pop, KJ to rebound, and Marchenko to just be Marchenko. They'll be fine if they get that.

 

[LOFIN]

The draft pick would be going the other way if it was a cap dump.

I don't think it needs to be like that if we are going to define a cap jump. All that is required, is that the team who trades away the player doesn't really expect any significant value for getting rid of said player. And I think that happened here. Like if we are talking about Nichushkin as the player, he should bring more value for what that contract is. But given his off-ice issues and injury history, the Avs are happy to just get out of that deal and walk away with something, because they need the capspace.

So I think it qualifies as a cap dump.

 

[GKJ]

I first saw that it was a seemingly low return on Twitter and that’s undersold a bit I think.

 

[Ncit3]

… the consensus from virtually everyone seems to be that CBJ got him cheap?

He was downright atrocious at times last year. 50 points is decent on the top scoring team in the league. He did a lot of that damage early last year. Considering the caliber of player he was on lines with in Colorado, the opportunities he got on the PP and was not part of making our atrocious PP better, and his ability to disappear in the last couple years. I'd say Columbus, on their team, is getting a 35 point player. I don't think they got him on the cheap. I think it's fair value for both teams.