The Colorado Avalanche’s decision in 2022 still hangs over the franchise, and the latest moves only made the conversation louder.
When Colorado shipped Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this offseason, it reopened the same question that surfaced after the team brought Nazem Kadri back at the NHL trade deadline last season: what if the Avalanche had simply kept Kadri instead of Nichushkin after their 2022 Stanley Cup run?
Both players were unrestricted free agents after that championship. Kadri had played his way into a massive payday, and Colorado wanted him back.
Nichushkin was also a priority, but the financial picture was tighter. In the end, Kadri landed with the Calgary Flames on a seven-year deal worth $7 million per season, while Nichushkin signed for eight years at $6.125 million.
The total value was the same for both contracts at $49 million, but Nichushkin’s extra year gave the Avalanche a lower cap hit.
That choice has aged in a complicated way. Nichushkin’s deal came with the baggage of his checkered history, including a lengthy suspension, and while his regular-season production stayed close to his career norms, he never fully matched the postseason impact he had once delivered.
Kadri’s departure, meanwhile, left a hole Colorado never quite filled. The Avalanche cycled through different options at second-line center before Brock Nelson finally settled the spot. Even then, the sense remained that the team was trying to recreate the edge and intangibles Kadri brought with him.
The argument now is simple enough: if Colorado had kept Kadri and let Nichushkin walk, the roster picture might look very different. Replacing a scoring winger would have been easier than finding another second-line center, and it’s fair to wonder whether the Avalanche might already have another Cup if Kadri had stayed.
There’s even a case to be made that the Casey Mittelstadt trade never would have happened with Kadri still in the fold. And even if Colorado still moved Bowen Byran, the return could have looked completely different.
Next season will give the Avalanche a real chance to show what life looks like with Kadri instead of Nichushkin. The setup won’t be the same, but if Colorado can at least reach the Stanley Cup Final, the story around that 2022 decision could start to shift in a big way.
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For Colorado, the appeal is obvious: little downside, a player with pedigree, and a chance to sort out his fit in training camp rather than on the fly. Lysell is not under contract with the Avalanche yet, so the next step is less about celebration than evaluation, with a roster spot and a possible fourth-line wing job there for the taking if he can make a case for himself. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Gave Young Athletes A Day Denver Fans Can Feel Proud Of
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Basketball, street hockey, lacrosse and soccer were part of the mix as the athletes rotated through non-competitive stations that kept the focus on friendship and motor-skill development. For a city that takes pride in its teams, it was the kind of event that reflects well beyond the rink or the court, and one that Special Olympics Colorado said helped create the kind of setting where young athletes can thrive. [Read more 🡒]