Unfortunately, Valeri Nichushkin will miss at least three more games

The Colorado Avalanche won’t have forward Valeri Nichushkin for at least the next three games.

It was expected that Nichushkin would travel with the Avs on an upcoming three-game road trip to Chicago, Minnesota and Winnipeg, but after practice on Tuesday head coach Jared Bednar said that would no longer be the case.

#GoAvsGo coach Bednar said Val Nichushkin will not travel with the team on the upcoming three-game road trip.

— Colleen Flynn (@CHNFlynn) January 7, 2025

Nichushkin was originally injured on New Year’s Eve against the Winnipeg Jets, leaving in the second period with what the team called a “lower-body injury.” Bednar said he expected him to miss between seven and 10 days, but it’ll be a little longer than that.

The good news is road trip is quick, with games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Avalanche will return home on Jan. 14 to face the New York Rangers, so that’ll hopefully be a day to circle for Nichushkin’s potential return. He was spotted in the ice before practice on Tuesday.

Nichushkin came back from a six-month suspension on Nov. 15 for Colorado and had been playing well. In just 21 games he has six goals and 11 assists, good for 17 points which is eighth on the team. For perspective, the Avs have played 41 games, so he’s put up those numbers while missing nearly half of them.

After his suspension and stint in Phase 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on May 13, Valeri Nichushkin was contrite. He’s exited Colorado’s last two playoff runs early.

“It was tough. A lot of work. Lots of things, but I think I’ve made huge progress with my mental health so hopefully this never happens again,” Nichushkin said.

The Avalanche are currently 25-15-1 on the season after a rough 0-4-0 and 14-13-0 start. They’re currently sitting with 51 points and in third place in the Central Division, just five points back of the leading Winnipeg Jets.