Once again, the Colorado Avalanche have been forced to play a lengthy period of time without forward Valeri Nichushkin — and once again, they’re preparing to welcome him back into their lineup.
The Avalanche, who host the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night at Ball Arena in Denver, will have Nichushkin back for the first time in nearly two months. He suffered a lower-body injury during Colorado’s game on New Year’s Eve and hasn’t played since.
But the team has activated him off injured reserve, and he’ll be available on Wednesday against the Devils.
UPDATE: Valeri Nichushkin has been activated off Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/hUgt29tDgr
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 26, 2025
According to Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Nichushkin’s return to the lineup will be a major boost, via The Star Herald.
“You can’t underestimate how much he means to this team,” Makar said after Colorado’s morning skate on Wednesday. “It will be a huge addition for us. Hopefully he’s back to Valeri form. He looks pretty good out there.”
In the 21 games that Nichushkin has played so far in the 2024-25 NHL Season, he’s scored 11 goals with six assists.
The Avalanche are used to being without Valeri Nichushkin for long stretches
Nichushkin was suspended for six months and entered Stage 3 of the NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He had already been in the program earlier in the 2023-24 season and missed several games while receiving treatment for an undisclosed issue.
This came after he stepped aside from the team during their playoff series in 2023 against the Seattle Kraken after he was involved in an incident with a woman at a Seattle hotel.
He was absent for the first 17 games of 2024-25 while completing the rest of his suspension.
The 10th-overall pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2013 NHL Draft, Nichushkin is playing in his sixth season with Colorado; he helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2022 over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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