Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche Agree to 8-Year, $100.6M Contract; NHL's Top-Paid Player
Sep 20, 2022
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche hoists the Stanley Cup after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game Six to take the best of seven Stanley Cup Final series 4 games to 2. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
After leading the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup title, Nathan MacKinnon is now the NHL's highest-paid player.
The Avs announced an eight-year contract extension with their superstar center on Tuesday.
A new deal has been expected for some time, with MacKinnon saying last week on the NHL/NHLPA media tour in Las Vegas the two sides were "pretty close" on an agreement.
"I'd prefer it to be done," he added. "… It gets emotional. You feel like it's personal sometimes. I'd like to get it done just so it's not a distraction at all.
The five-time All-Star will earn $6.85 million in 2022-23, the final season of his seven-year, $44.1 million contract that was signed in July 2016.
MacKinnon has been everything the Avs could have hoped for since making him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft. The Canadian star became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as an 18-year-old during the 2013-14 season.
Colorado ended its three-year playoff drought in MacKinnon's rookie campaign. After another three-year absence from 2014-17, the Avs have made the postseason in each of the past five seasons.
The 2021-22 season was arguably the best in Avalanche history. They set franchise records for regular-season wins (56) and points (119) to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They went 12-2 in the first three rounds of the playoffs, including two sweeps to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
MacKinnon had six points in six games against the Tampa Bay Lightning to lead the Avs to their first championship in 21 years. He has scored 648 points in 638 career regular-season games.
The Keys to a Potential Avalanche Stanley Cup Repeat
Sep 8, 2022
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 30: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche lifts the Stanley Cup on-stage during the Colorado Avalanche Victory Parade and Rally at Civic Center Park on June 30, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Repeating as the Stanley Cup champion is exceptionally difficult. After a summer of euphoria, starting from scratch and overcoming the grind of another regular season can take its toll. Plus, it requires yet again beating out a playoff field of other highly competitive teams. There is a reason the 2020 and 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning are the only teams of the Salary Cap era to pull it off.
The Colorado Avalanche, winners of the 2022 Stanley Cup, are also victims of their own success. Winning requires having a lot of good players, and good players who thrive under the spotlight of a long playoff run expect to be compensated appropriately. Forwards Nazem Kadri, André Burakovsky and Nico Sturm, plus starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper, signed elsewhere as unrestricted free agents. Those are heavy casualties.
It's unlikely the Avalanche will be the same caliber team as they were in 2021-22. But the Avs don't need to match last season in order to make another run. Even a moderate drop-off from a 119-point regular season would still leave them as one of the best teams in the NHL.
Still, in order to run through the gauntlet yet again, Colorado will need to make gains elsewhere and while having some other players step up in place of the lost. Here are three critical areas that could make or break a repeat performance during the 2022-23 season.
Second-Line Center
Colorado's biggest loss of the offseason was center Nazem Kadri to Calgary—likely their biggest obstacle through the Western Conference. Kadri is coming off a career year in which he registered 87 points in 71 games, plus 15 points in 16 playoff games.
Short of finding a way to move money around and re-sign him, the Avs were never going to find an equal replacement. In fact, with such a tight cap situation, they didn't make any additions at all. At least to start the season, Kadri's successor on the second line will have to come internally. Two options stick out.
One is J.T. Compher. The 27-year-old produced a career-high 18 goals and 33 points in 70 games last season. Compher has spent his six NHL seasons mostly in a depth role, alternating between center and the wing.
At his age, what you see is what you get.
It's possible Compher could improve his output in an elevated role in which he'd get more minutes and play with superior players. More likely, he would face a tough time no longer playing easy minutes in the shadow of Nathan MacKinnon and Kadri.
Compher is a strong defensive forward but struggles to create offense for his team. As a second-line center, he would not attempt to replace Kadri offensively but instead completely change the line's initiative. Alongside Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen, the second line would perhaps match up against the opposition's top players and attempt to drive possession.
The more desirable outcome would be Alex Newhook seizing the role.
The young center spent some time in the AHL last season and only played in 12 of Colorado's 20 playoff games. But his 33 points in 71 games is fair production for a 20-year-old who averaged just 13:34 of ice time per game. Now 21 and having caught his bearing with a season under his belt, he should be able to build on that with a superior performance in 2022-23.
Drafted 16th overall by the Avalanche in 2019, Newhook is an immensely talented center. He is agile and proficient with the puck, capable of feeding linemates through layers of traffic. And while he won't be a top goalscorer, he has a precise shot, and his ability to exploit space will earn him his share of tallies.
Newhook dominated the college circuit with 42 points in 34 games as a freshman at Boston College, and he hardly missed a beat in his brief AHL stints, collecting 20 points in 18 games.
It's only a matter of time before Newhook is a top-six forward in Colorado. The big question for now is how soon he can get there. Head coach Jared Bednar may start the season with Compher on the second line for the sake of stability, but the Avalanche's best hope at sufficiently furnishing the second line is with Newhook working his way there during the winter months.
Otherwise, president of hockey operations Joe Sakic will be under immense pressure to fill the gap with a trade-deadline addition.
Goaltending
Starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper took advantage of both a good season and a weak offseason goaltending market to collect a big payday; the 32-year-old signed a five-year, $26.3 million deal with the Washington Capitals. It's undoubtedly a big loss.
Per Evolving-Hockey, Kuemper saved roughly 16 goals more than expected in 57 regular-season games, which put him fifth among all goaltenders.
There are reasons for Avalanche fans to not necessarily mourn the loss too much. As a top defensive team, the Avs make life very easy for their netminders. The easy workload puts a goaltender in a position to thrive. Just ask Philipp Grubauer, who went from a Vezina Trophy finalist in Colorado in 2021 to one of the worst performing goaltenders last season with Seattle.
What the Avalanche lose with Kuemper's departure, more than anything, is the stability of a veteran, proven goaltender.
To replace him, Sakic took a massive gamble and traded draft picks to the New York Rangers in return for Alexandar Georgiev. The Bulgarian goaltender played second fiddle to Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin the previous two seasons—although, who wouldn't—and he did not perform particularly well. He gave up 8.4 goals more than expected in 52 games over that span.
Yet Sakic is apparently putting his trust in the 26-year-old. There are good reasons to believe Georgiev may be up for the task. Goaltenders often peak at a later age than skaters; Kuemper, who didn't nail down a starting job in the NHL until he was 28, is a convenient example. He'll have a chip on his shoulder, and while the starting job appears to be his to lose, he'll be forced to justify his claim to the net throughout the season.
With a chance to do so on a top team, the situation could play into his mental strengths.
What's more, there is precedent for him proving up to the task.
Georgiev was called up to the Rangers in February 2018 in the aftermath of the Rangers' infamous fire sale. With nothing to play for, the Rangers gave him a run of starts, and he excelled, posting a .918 save percentage behind a barebones team. Splitting starts with Henrik Lundqvist to start the 2019-20 season, Georgiev again performed well behind a rebuilding team that conceded a number of scoring chances. In fact, upon Shesterkin's call-up to the NHL that season, the Rangers considered Georgiev's performances so impressive that they somewhat shockingly demoted Lundqvist to the third string.
Georgiev has shown he can be a starting NHL goaltender, and a good one, when he's given an opportunity to play frequently and fight for his job. The move is a risky one, but their new goaltender comes with a lot of upside. Should he fail, the team will be forced to resort to the competent but uninspiring Pavel Francouz, who did win all six of his playoff starts last season.
Improvements on Defense
Perhaps the most persuasive reason the Avalanche were so dominant last season was their robust defensive group. Not only did it feature high-end talent, but also depth. Not only were the Avalanche one of the best shot-suppressing teams in the league, but they also got significant offensive contributions from the blue line.
Cale Makar's 28 goals and 86 points of course steal the show, but it's not just him. Devon Toews collected 57 points in 66 games. Sam Girard was producing well above a 30-point pace prior to his being shelved with a sternum injury. Even Erik Johnson, in a diminished role, scored eight goals.
Is it possible they could be even better next season?
Aside from linchpins Makar and Toews, the Avalanche are set to get full seasons from a number of highly capable defensemen. Josh Manson, acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline, re-signed in Colorado and should be a key defensive presence to complement the group's offensive excellence. Girard had a subpar season but is incredibly talented and ranked 29th among all defensemen in points over the last two seasons. Now 24, he is a likely candidate to return to his prior form as a top-four defenseman and offensive force.
The biggest "addition" is Bowen Byram. Byram has dealt with serious concussion issues and played in 30 regular-season games last season and only 19 the season before. When he is healthy, he has the ability to be one of the best defensemen in the league. The 2019 fourth overall pick tallied five goals and 17 points in 30 games last season and was one of Colorado's top players in the playoffs.
On most other teams, he would be a strong candidate to play top-pairing minutes even at age 21. It shouldn't be long before he himself enters the realm of All-Star nominations. More than anyone else, a healthy Byram has the ability to make Colorado's defense improve from elite to beyond dominant.
Still the Favorites
No doubt, there are some new questions the Avs will have to answer this upcoming season. Goaltender is a big question mark, and even in the best-case scenario, the loss of Nazem Kadri will hurt. Nonetheless, they are returning most of their key players, and getting full seasons from Bowen Byram, Sam Girard and Artturi Lehkonen will help.
What's more, the Calgary Flames once again pose the only significant threat in the Western Conference. And while last season's all-in approach has put a dent in the team's prospect pool and draft capital, the team still has each of its first-round picks through 2025 (and beyond), plus a handful of intriguing prospects. Reinforcements are certainly possible, if not inevitable, before the trade deadline.
It's going to be a more difficult task this time around, and they'll need a few bets to go in their favor, but the Avalanche absolutely have what it takes to run it back and win another Stanley Cup.
A $1 million rise in the NHL salary cap
to $82.5 million didn't adversely affect the 2022 offseason trade...
Nazem Kadri Reportedly Signs 7-Year, $49M Contract with Flames After Avalanche Stint
Aug 18, 2022
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 02: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche skates prior to the game against the Edmonton Oilers in Game Two of the Western Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on June 02, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Nazem Kadri has moved on from the Colorado Avalanche, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Thursday that the skilled forward has signed with the Calgary Flames in free agency.
Kadri's deal is for seven years and is worth $49 million, per Friedman.
This is a great get for the Flames, as Kadri played a significant role in Colorado's 2022 Stanley Cup run despite missing time because of injury, and he had been a key player for the franchise since arriving in 2019.
He notched 28 goals and 59 assists for 87 points in 71 regular-season games to help the Avalanche finish with the best record in the Western Conference and capture first place in the Central Division with a 56-19-7 record, plus he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.
The 31-year-old had an impressive postseason as Colorado won its first Stanley Cup since 2001. He had seven goals and eight assists in 16 postseason games and tied for the fifth-most points on the roster.
The Avs acquired Kadri, Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2019-20 season in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick.
In 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs, Kadri notched 161 goals and 196 assists for 357 points in 561 games.
The Ontario native had been a key contributor in each of his three seasons with the Avalanche, though the 2021-22 campaign marked his best season in Colorado. In 178 games with the Avs, Kadri tallied 58 goals and 97 assists for 155 points.
While Kadri represents a significant loss for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, he is perhaps an even bigger addition for the Flames, given the trials and tribulations they have gone through this offseason.
After winning the Western Conference's Pacific Division and reaching the second round of the playoffs last season, the Flames lost a pair of key players.
Star winger Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency, and the Flames traded top forward Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a 2025 first-round pick after they were unable to come to terms on a contract extension.
While Kadri and Huberdeau don't replace everything Gaudreau and Tkachuk brought to the table, they should go a long way toward keeping Calgary in the playoff hunt next season.
Nazem Kadri: Pros and Cons of Free-Agent Forward Signing with the Islanders
Aug 16, 2022
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche carries the Stanley Cup following the series winning victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
It's the middle of August, and Nazem Kadri is still a free agent. It's almost unthinkable, but it makes you wonder if he's signed with the one team that has a general manager who doesn't see it necessary to announce signings.
That team is the New York Islanders, and that general manager is Lou Lamoriello. There appeared to be some smoke when Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported an offer on the table for the former Colorado Avalanche center. However, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff extinguished that fire last week when he said that Kadri turned it down and is still talking to other teams.
There are fans in the New York area who are hoping that maybe Kadri is, in fact, an Islander already and that there will be a reveal in training camp. Anyone familiar with the way Lamoriello operates knows that he works in total secrecy. But this is a little shortsighted.
If Kadri had already signed a contract, it would have passed through the NHL Central Registry. I find it hard to believe that multiple insiders wouldn't find out about a transaction of that magnitude. Could he have a handshake deal in place with the Islanders? It's certainly possible.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: General manager Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders is seen prior to Round Two of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
But does it even make sense for this club? He would make the Islanders better, but it's not exactly a good fit.
Positional Fit
The Islanders already have three centers in Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Kadri, a Stanley Cup winner coming off an 87-point season, isn't signing with a team to play on the fourth line. He could move out to the wing, but two sources have told me that he isn't as effective there.
It's worth noting that he played on the wing during the Stanley Cup Final and did well there. The Avs wanted to minimize the impact on his injured thumb, so a move to the wing prevented him from having to take faceoffs.
He scored a goal in Game 4 of the Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning (although Jon Cooper probably still thinks it shouldn't have counted).
TAMPA, FL - JUNE 22: Colorado Avalanche left wing J.T. Compher (37), Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson (6) swarm Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (91) after Kadri scored the game winning overtime goal against Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) to win game four of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals 3-2 at Amalie Arena June 22, 2022. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
If moving Kadri to the wing is the plan, the Islanders will need to clear some salary-cap space. The logical candidate to be moved is winger Anthony Beauvillier, who does not have no-trade protection and has a cap hit of $4.2 million over each of the next two years.
You could make the argument for Pageau, but Lamoriello gave up a lot to acquire him in 2020 and is unlikely to give up on a player that took so much to get.
Pageau might not produce points at the same rate as Kadri, but he kills penalties, he's a better defender and he's two years younger than Kadri, who will turn 32 in October. His $5 million cap hit doesn't break the bank, and he's signed at that number through 2025-26.
Not to mention, Pageau has a limited no-trade clause.
Is Lamoriello looking for some blockbuster move like trading Barzal? I sincerely doubt it. Barzal is only 25 and a top center in the league. Ownership would be foolish to sign off on that trade.
But speaking of Barzal, we need to look at the salary cap.
ELMONT, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders skates against the Tampa Bay Lightning at UBS Arena on April 29, 2022 in Elmont, New York. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Islanders 6-4. (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)
Salary-Cap Fit
The Isles currently have a little more than $11 million in cap space this season, but they still need to re-sign restricted free agents Kieffer Bellows, Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson.
Barzal's bridge deal only runs through 2023, making him an RFA next summer. Scott Mayfield and Semyon Varlamov will be unrestricted free agents next summer, and goaltender Ilya Sorokin will be one in two years. Sorokin had the second-best save percentage in the league last season, and he makes this club a contender.
The Isles would be smart to keep Varlamov, a very good backup, around this year as well, considering how tough the goalie market is right now. They could probably trade him to the Vegas Golden Knights to clear cap space, but there aren't any good options for backups left on the market, and Bridgeport goalie Ken Appleby isn't the answer either.
That's a lot of business for Lamoriello to take care of, and he will need to plug some holes in the coming years.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 26: Kieffer Bellows #20 and Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders celebrate a win against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on April 26, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images)
Kadri might want $9 million per year, but getting that money on Long Island would mean the club would have to part with key talent. And even though he reportedly wants to play for a contender, the reality is that he might not be able to get that kind of money from one. The flat cap isn't going up by much anytime soon, and close to half of the league is already over the cap.
Is He Really Needed?
Isles fans see this as adding offense to a team that didn't generate a whole lot of it last season. New York's 2.79 goals per game was 10th-worst in the league. Adding a two-time 30-goal scorer would help with the quest for offense and could bring some excitement to the new UBS Arena.
Fans have every right to be frustrated by Lamoriello's seeming inaction this summer. He traded away a first-round pick for Romanov, who has shown promise but did struggle with the Montreal Canadiens. He fired a popular coach in Barry Trotz and promoted Trotz's longtime assistant, Lane Lambert. He whiffed on Johnny Gaudreau.
But this team was only a game away from the Stanley Cup Final last summer. The 2021-22 Islanders were undone by a brutal travel schedule, COVID-19 and injuries to key players. Trotz's defensive system doesn't really produce a lot of offense, but Lambert can now put his own stamp on the team by having them play in a way that facilitates more scoring.
This is a loaded Metropolitan Division, with the New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets looking ready to jump back into the postseason fray. The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes are still contenders, and the Washington Capitals should be a playoff team, too.
Adding Kadri but subtracting a young, cost-controlled player like Beauvillier or a backup goalie like Varlamov doesn't make this club that much better than it already is right now, especially if he has to move to the wing.
There are a lot of pros to adding someone like Kadri, but there might be just a few more cons for the Isles.
The weeks between the end of the
Stanley Cup playoffs and Aug. 1 tend to see a considerable amount of
activity in the trade and free-agent markets. General...
The Chicago Blackhawks' rebuild under
general manager Kyle Davidson is well underway. The departure
Why Avalanche Should Strongly Pursue Patrick Kane Trade amid NHL Rumors
Jul 13, 2022
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 27: Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) looks on during a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Blackhawks on April 27, 2022 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks' full-on rebuild has continued. The team is undergoing some major changes at the moment, and more are likely on the way now that summer has arrived.
On Monday, the Blackhawks opted to not extend qualifying offers to forwards Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik, making them both unrestricted free agents when free agency begins Wednesday at noon ET.
But Chicago hasn't parted with all of its top veteran players. Still on its roster is 33-year-old forward Patrick Kane, who has spent his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks and has one season remaining on his contract.
Kane may not make it through the 2022-23 campaign in Chicago, though. Not with the way the team is moving on from players. And according to The Athletic's Scott Powers, Kane may be ready to go elsewhere. Powers reported that people close to Kane said they'd be "shocked if he chose to stay with the Blackhawks beyond the trade deadline."
“They’ve basically traded everyone he’s ever enjoyed playing with,” one person told Powers.
Powers also raised an interesting idea for Kane to consider.
"If I was Kane, I’d be signing affordable one-year deals the rest of the way, playing with whomever he wants and chasing another Stanley Cup or two," Powers wrote.
That could make sense, even if Kane is already a three-time Cup champion. Who doesn't want to win as many titles as possible? And if that's Kane's imminent goal, why not try to get to the defending champs?
Kane joining the Colorado Avalanche may be more than a pipe dream, too. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently shared on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Avs inquired about Kane prior to the trade deadline in March to "see if he was available." Friedman also wouldn't be surprised if they reached out again in the future.
"If—and I stress this is an if—if Patrick Kane is available, I can see Colorado making another try for him," Friedman said on the podcast.
The Avalanche should try their hardest to push for a deal this summer, even if the Blackhawks are a bit hesitant to trade a franchise player like Kane. Colorado may soon be losing one of its key contributors from its run to the Cup, as center Nazem Kadri is hitting the free-agent market. And Kane would help prevent an offensive drop-off.
Even at this point in his career, Kane is playing at a high level. Last season, he tallied 92 points (26 goals and 36 assists), the third-most he's had in a season during his career.
If the Avs were going to make a trade for Kane, though, they'd have to find a way to make it work financially. He has a $10.5 million cap hit for the 2022-23 season, and Colorado currently has $14.91 million in available cap space (per CapFriendly).
The Avs have already moved for a starting goaltender, acquiring Alexandar Georgiev in a trade with the New York Rangers to replace the outgoing Darcy Kuemper, but they still have players to replace or re-sign.
Andre Burakovsky, Artturi Lehkonen, Jack Johnson, Josh Manson and Kadri all logged significant ice time for last season's championship squad and are set to become unrestricted free agents. To sufficiently fill those holes and acquire Kane, the Avs would likely need Chicago to retain a significant portion of Kane's cap hit.
But with Chicago seemingly set on a full roster teardown, it may decide it's worth it to get as many assets as possible for Kane, who has a no-movement clause and can therefore dictate where he is traded.
If the Blackhawks are open to a deal that works for their cap sheet, the Avalanche should do whatever it takes to land Kane. There aren't many players in the league who have the skills and experience he possesses, and he could help Colorado go for a Cup repeat next year.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: Valeri Nichushkin #13 of the Colorado Avalanche lifts the Stanley Cup in celebration after Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. The Avalanche defeated the Lightning 2-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Colorado Avalanche announced they signed Valeri Nichushkin to an eight-year extension that will keep him under contract through 2030.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Nichushkin will earn $49 million, which averages out to $6.1 million annually.
Avs president of hockey operations Joe Sakic commented on the deal:
"Signing Val to a long-term deal was a top priority for us this offseason, as he would have been one of the most sought-after forwards on the open market. Val is a big, strong, fast, tenacious winger who is relentless on the puck. He can play on the first line with our top guys, you can move him up and down the lineup. He plays power play, penalty kill, any situation you need him to. He works hard off the ice as well in the gym and is a humble person and great teammate. He is such an important player in our lineup and a huge reason why we won the Stanley Cup."
Nichushkin is coming off a career year. He scored 25 goals and assisted on 27 others during the regular season.
A slight overpay for Valeri Nichushkin after a career year, but one he can feasibly live up to with more power play opportunity. pic.twitter.com/G8V6SP4S9F
He continued to make a positive impact in the postseason, finishing with 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 20 playoff games as Colorado lifted the Stanley Cup for the third time.
It can't be overstated how good Valeri Nichushkin was for the Avs in the playoffs, particularly the Final. If the Conn Smythe was like the NBA Finals MVP, and just for the last series, Nichushkin would have won it. Huge signing by Sakic and MacFarland. #GoAvsGo
The Tampa Bay Lightning won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021, reaching a third straight Stanley Cup Final in 2022. The Pittsburgh Penguins successfully defended their championship in 2017 as well.
Recent history favors the Avalanche as they look to add a fourth Stanley Cup triumph in 2022-23. They already had most of their key players under contract for the upcoming year.
Nichushkin was one of the notable exceptions. Nazem Kadri is another, and the fact the Avs tied up a contract for Nichushkin so quickly could increase their chances of retaining Kadri, who finished with the third-most points (87) on the team.
It's also possible Colorado prioritized Nichushkin because it grew worried about its odds of re-signing Kadri and didn't want to wind up losing both players.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported Kadri "will get contract offers above and beyond what Colorado would like to give him." He cited the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken as teams that could pursue the 31-year-old forward.
