After his contract with Dallas Stars expired, forward Valeri Nichushkin had to wait unusually long to find another job in the NHL. The wait, however, ended this week as Nichushkin signed a one-year deal with Colorado Avalanche.
Although Avalanche didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal, Nichushkin will receive $850,000 in annual salary according to SportsNet.
“Valeri is a big, young winger who adds depth to our roster and brings competition to our training camp,” – said Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic in a team statement. “He brings NHL experience to our team and we are excited to have him with our organization.”
Nichushkin played 57 games with the Stars in the past season, managing to contribute with 10 points, all of which were assists. After such a disappointing campaign he was bought out of the remaining year of his two-year, $5.9 million contract.
Valeri Nichushkin started his professional career in his native Russia, before entering the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Considered one of the most talented players in the class, Nichushkin ended up being selected 10th overall by Dallas Stars.
Although he had a solid rookie season, Nichushkin struggled with injuries in the following years which caused him to return to KHL in 2016. After two years in Russia, he signed with Stars once again prior 2018/19 NHL season.
