Valeri Nichushkin
Valeri Ivanovich Nichushkin (Russian: Валерий Иванович Ничушкин; born March 4, 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Stars in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
| Valeri Nichushkin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Nichuskin with the Dallas Stars in 2013 | |||
| Born |
March 4, 1995 Chelyabinsk, Russia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Colorado Avalanche Traktor Chelyabinsk Dallas Stars CSKA Moscow | ||
| National team |
 Russia | ||
| NHL Draft |
10th overall, 2013 Dallas Stars | ||
| Playing career | 2012–present | ||
Playing career
After one season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Nichushkin transferred from Traktor Chelyabinsk to Dynamo Moscow on May 1, 2013. He then signed a two-year contract with Dynamo. However, the deal was terminated conditionally, allowing Nichushkin to play in the NHL, or be returned to Dynamo if he failed to make the NHL team.
Nichushkin played his first regular season NHL game on October 3, 2013, against the Florida Panthers.[1] He scored his first career NHL goal on November 3, 2013, against Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators.[2]
After having a solid rookie season (14 goals and 20 assists), Nichushkin suffered from hip and groin soreness in the beginning of his sophomore campaign, 2014–15. Five games into the season, Nichushkin opted for hip surgery, which was performed on November 18, 2014.[3] He rehabbed in New Jersey and re-joined the team in March 2015, practicing in a red no-contact jersey.
As a restricted free agent following the conclusion of his entry-level deal in the 2015–16 season, Nichushkin and the Stars failed to agree to common grounds in contract negotiations. Unhappy with his current role within the Stars line-up, his KHL rights were traded from Dynamo Moscow to CSKA Moscow on September 20, 2016. He subsequently signed a two-year contract to return to the KHL with CSKA, with his NHL rights to be kept by the Stars.[4]
After two seasons with CSKA, Nichushkin returned to the Stars organization, in agreeing to a two-year, $5.9 million contract on July 1, 2018.[5] In his return to the Stars in the 2018–19 season, Nichushkin recorded 10 assists in 54 regular-season games, averaging 11:55 time on ice per game. Nichushkin skated in one game during the playoffs with the Stars and failed to record a point.
After a disappointing campaign in failing to score a goal through 57 games, Nichuskin was placed on unconditional waivers and subsequently bought out from the remaining year of his contract with the Stars on 30 June 2019.[6]
Nichushkin signed a one year, $850k contact with the Colorado Avalanche on August 19, 2019. Nichushkin scored his first goal in 2 years on November 23, 2019. In his first season with Colorado, Nichushkin received high praise from the analytics community for his surprisingly high rankings in many advanced metrics.[7] He also received votes for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the award given to the best defensive forward in the NHL.
On October 10, 2020, the Avalanche resigned Nichushkin, who was a restricted free agent, to a 2 year, $5 million contract extension.[8]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk | MHL | 38 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk | MHL | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Chelmet Chelyabinsk | VHL | 15 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | 18 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 79 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Texas Stars | AHL | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 79 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | CSKA Moscow | KHL | 36 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | CSKA Moscow | KHL | 50 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 57 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 65 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 14 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| KHL totals | 104 | 31 | 26 | 57 | 23 | 53 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 8 | ||||
| NHL totals | 288 | 36 | 65 | 101 | 36 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing Russia | ||
| World Championships | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=icon} | 2017 Germany/France | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| 2013 Russia | |
References
- Cristodero, Damian (May 31, 2013). "Russian draft prospect Valeri Nichushkin 'serious' about playing in the NHL, his agent says". Tampa Bay Times.
- Blinn, Michael (November 3, 2013). "Dallas Stars rookie Valeri Nichushkin scores his first NHL goal". SI.com.
- Heika, Mike (December 13, 2014). "Valeri Nichushkin back from hip surgery, should be helped by team environment". Dallas Morning News.
- "Valeri Nichushkin joins the composition of CSKA" (in Russian). HC CSKA Moscow. September 20, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
- "Stars sign Valeri Nichushkin to two-year contract". Dallas Stars. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- "Stars buy out Valeri Nichushkin". Dallas Stars. June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
- JFresh. "How Valeri Nichushkin Became 2020's Biggest (and Most Controversial) Analytical Darling". jfresh.substack.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- "Avalanche Re-Signs Valeri Nichushkin". NHL.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Radek Faksa |
Dallas Stars first round draft pick 2013 |
Succeeded by Jason Dickinson |