Valeri Nichushkin knows better than most what the Colorado Avalanche looked like at their peak.
He was there when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. He played through a broken foot to help finish the job. Seven years later, he is leaving Denver — and his comments about the Avalanche’s aging core are impossible to ignore.
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Speaking with RB Sport, Nichushkin admitted he hasn’t had much time to process the trade to Columbus.
“Honestly, I haven’t had time to think about it yet,” Nichushkin said. “I stayed in America because of family circumstances, and then when I came to Russia, I was getting settled.”
Leaving Denver will be an adjustment for Nichushkin after seven years in the city.
“I knew every street,” he said. “Now everything will be new. I’ll have to find a new place to live. But there’s nothing terrible about it. I’ll adapt.”
The hockey side of the move, however, doesn’t concern him nearly as much.
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Some have viewed Nichushkin going from Colorado to Columbus as a clear step backward, considering the Avalanche remain a Stanley Cup contender while the Blue Jackets are still trying to establish themselves as a consistent playoff team.
Nichushkin doesn’t necessarily see it that way.
“At first glance, perhaps it looks that way,” he said. “But on the other hand, Colorado is now already one of the oldest teams in the league.”
Then came the comparison that really puts Colorado’s evolution into perspective.
“When we won the Cup, we were in the top five youngest teams,” Nichushkin said.
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That is a significant observation coming from someone who was right in the middle of that championship run.
The Avalanche’s core has aged considerably since 2022. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the veteran foundation that helped Colorado dominate the NHL are still among the league’s best, but the roster is no longer the young group that Nichushkin remembers from the Stanley Cup run.
And Nichushkin doesn’t believe that automatically means Colorado is headed in the wrong direction.
“There are very good players in Columbus, a good balance,” he said, pointing specifically to Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko. “And that’s how it happens in the NHL: a couple of trades — and everything can change very quickly.”
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Nichushkin knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Colorado’s championship window.
He was instrumental in the Avalanche’s 2022 title run, scoring nine goals and six assists in 20 playoff games as Colorado went 16-4 and captured the Stanley Cup. He also played through a broken foot late in the postseason, showcasing the toughness that made him such a valuable part of the team.
Nichushkin finished his Colorado playoff career with 27 goals and 13 assists for 40 points in 74 games.
He finished his final regular season with the Avalanche with 49 points, scoring 17 goals and adding 32 assists in 72 games. He then recorded four points in 12 playoff games.
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Colorado officially traded Nichushkin to Columbus on June 25, receiving a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028. That 2026 second-round selection ultimately became Egor Shilov.
For Nichushkin, the trade offers the chance to take on a larger role.
“There is an opportunity to get a more interesting playing role there,” he said.
For Colorado, meanwhile, his comments offer an interesting reminder of how quickly a championship roster can change.
The Avalanche are still built around elite players and still expect to compete for the Stanley Cup. But according to one of the players who helped deliver their last championship, the team has entered a very different stage.
The young Avalanche that Nichushkin helped lead to the top of the NHL are gone.
But can Colorado rebound from last year’s disappointment of getting swept?
Time will tell.
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