Blue Jackets pick up Valeri Nichushkin in Avalanche trade

Last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets briefly flirted with a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to a lengthy winning streak after the hiring of coach Rick Bowness, but they ultimately fell short.

They’re trying to take the steps necessary to return to the postseason for what would be the first time since 2020, and they just picked up some valuable Stanley Cup-winning experience with a knack for timely offense. The Blue Jackets have acquired forward Valeri Nichushkin from the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday afternoon, and are sending a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fifth-round pick back in return.

Nichushkin was originally taken by the Dallas Stars in the first round (10th overall pick) of the 2013 NHL Draft, and he would begin his career with the club by scoring 14 goals with 20 assists in 79 games played during his rookie campaign. But he would eventually return to his native Russia, playing in two seasons with CSKA Moscow before returning to North America with the Stars in 2018-19. The club put him on waivers and bought out the rest of his deal, and he eventually signed a one-year contract with the Avalanche in 2019, eventually earning a two-year extension.

He would eventually help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022, and his four goals during the 2022 Stanley Cup Final tied both Joe Sakic and Alex Tanguay for most goals in a Cup Final series. He then signed an eight-year, $49 million extension.

So far through 627 career games played in the regular season, he’s scored 154 goals with 203 assists, along with 28 goals and 15 assists in 91 career playoff games.

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