Confirmed with Link: Nichushkin back in assistance program; suspended a minimum of six months

[Balthazar]

That cap space could be used on a great winger. Or it could be Miles Wood and Ross Colton.

You are discrediting how good Nichushkin is.

I'm not.

I'll say it again: If that franchise, lead my Mackinnon and Makar, can't win without a player the level of Valeri Nichushkin then they need to sell and start the rebuild yesterday.

 

[AvsMakar08]

This is the same logic as the wife that hopes she won't get beat up a 3rd time because he's the best husband ever when he's sober. The bad with Nuke outweighs the good by a huge margin. It's not even close.

f*** that bullshit.

Sometimes people are just stuck in that kind of a relationship. Maybe Nuke's wife does not have a job and Nuke is the sole provider of the family. Food is getting more expensive and education is becoming more expensive. I know it sounds like some kind of vicious cycle but the options are limited here because Nuke got everyone by the balls.

 

[henchman21]

He's not getting traded, we know that isn't realistic given his issues and the Avs looking at accepting pennies for his services. Termination would have happened by now if the Avs wanted to go that route.

The only chance of this magical cap space is if he gets popped again and his cap hit disappears. Definitely a strong possibility but at that point the Avs are looking at trades not UFA signings to replace him.

Trading I think is pretty much off the table. Nobody is taking on the contract risk unless the deal is incredibly lopsided. Termination can still happen for a number of reasons, but I'd say it is unlikely for this season.

Nuke getting popped again... I'd say there is a very significant chance of that. It was twice within 5 months last year even knowing the consequences of his next positive test... and knowing that teams get tested in the playoffs. He escapes the preseason test, but is still at very least subject to the random team test, a playoff test, and any 48 hour notice test (which for the love of god, he better pass any of those). Players in the PAP tend to have other restrictions on testing too. I would say there is a greater chance that Nuke produces a positive test by the end of the playoffs than him being clean throughout. If that happens prior to the deadline, the Avs can utilize the cap space.

 

[Ararana]

It may be optimistic that he keeps his nose clean this time, but there's no real other solution than to live and die with Val.

He was probably the Avs 2nd best player last season on a team that had the Hart and Lindsay winner. His value cannot be understated.

If his teammates really cared about him, they be sneaking him clean urine and signing in the hookers as their cousins at the hotel front desk.

Bunch of selfish jerks if you ask me...

 

[Balthazar]

I would say there is a greater chance that Nuke produces a positive test by the end of the playoffs than him being clean throughout. If that happens prior to the deadline, the Avs can utilize the cap space.

That's more than likely what they are hoping for behind closed doors.

 

[henchman21]

That's more than likely what they are hoping for behind closed doors.

I doubt that is what they are hoping for (I think everyone wants Nuke to get better and stay clean), but I'd bet they are planning contingencies based on it.

 

[Foppa2118]

I have said my 2 cents on this in the past. It is not that they can't win without Nuke but more that they can't win without both Nuke AND Landy out of the lineup at the same time. They need at least one of those two in the lineup. Without both of them the top-6 become weak defensively, weak in winning battles in the corner, weak in cycling the puck and especially weak in front of the net in both areas of screening the goalie on shots and tipping shots. They don't have anybody in the system that can bring those skills/qualities to fill in. Obviously it is very hard to have one player in the system/lower lines that can fill all those gaps in the top-6. The player doesn't need to fill all the gaps but you need somebody to fill most of them. The Avs don't have that anywhere in their system currently.

Yeah they can win without Val, but they need a healthy Gabe, playing at close to the level he was at before. Probably Lehky too. They need two guys like that who can play in the top 6. Wood and LOC can play a similar role, but you don't really want them in the top 6.

I've always thought the plan was to let Val come back this year, because their options were so limited, and then hope he can put in a clean full season, which could allow them to trade him at a fair value next off season, and shed much needed cap space.