The Colorado Avalanche just went all-in on another Stanley Cup chase. Even with the best record in the NHL, they took a massive swing on deadline day to bring back fan favorite Nazem Kadri.
Nearly everyone in Avalanche fandom is through the roof with excitement at the news. But the locker room is perhaps even more happy to be reunited with an old friend, and proven winner. Avalanche fan spaces are practically aglow with optimism and good vibes at the moment.
Even so, as we all collectively bask in highlight reels of the 2022 Stanley Cup win, and dream of another possible parade this summer, there is serious work to be done. The back-to-back shootout wins against Dallas and Minnesota this weekend were incredible. Still, they serve as a reminder that the competition, particularly in the Central, is elite.
It's understandable that as the 'big fish' I mentioned, Nazem Kadri will be stealing headlines for the next week, and possibly beyond. This is the very nature of flashy acquisitions billed as ' that last piece' on an already star studded roster.
Yet sometimes, when you are part of a club with championship aspirations, deadline time is the most nerve-wracking period imaginable. This was likely true for more than a few Avalanche players who might have heard their names bounced around as enticing trade-bait.
Valeri Nichushkin is one such player who was floated late in the deadline frenzy as possibly movable. Now, we at Mile High Sticking were never quite convinced - but the nature of the big deal, being the final piece of business in the deadline day queue, certainly raised the question in my mind.
As it turns out, Victor Olofsson was the only roster player moved out in the blockbuster for Kadri. I was relieved twice-over when the final package details were released late Friday afternoon, with no ill will meant towards Olofsson.
Leading up to the season, I called the Olofsson signing safe and smart for this very reason. I knew that if the fit was less than ideal, he was the kind of guy who would retain some value on the trade market. Now post-deadline, the Avalanche have exchanged that piece and significant draft capital, for a proven fit.
Did deadline relief spark Nichushkin?
We don't even know if Nichushkin was on the table in trade talks. However, that doesn't entirely negate the possibility that it may have been weighing on him. The facts, and stats were pretty stark.
Nichuskin netted his 13th goal this season with seconds remaining in the third, to force OT in Dallas on Friday night. That was after 'Big Val' pinged a dreaded double-doinker off the posts and things were seeming dire.
Not only was Nichushkin the hero who got Colorado to overtime, he has also come up clutch with goals in both shootouts against the Stars and Wild. The turnaround in fortune for Nichuskin couldn't be coming at a more opportune time for the Avalanche.
Just how snake-bitten had Nichuskin been? Before the last-second heroics in Dallas, Nichuskin had been goalless since January 28th in the 5-2 loss to Ottawa. Remember too, that was his lone goal in the whole month of January.
Indeed Nichushkin's hat-trick on New Years Eve felt like a year ago, and technically, it was. The Avalanche know that Nichushkin can be an essential x-factor element to a winning formula. Getting the 'Chu Chu Train' running again has already paid dividends for this club.
Re-defined roles for depth forwards
Another major but more subtle impact in the lineup is about Colorado's depth forward corps. Bumping a player like Jack Drury down to a more natural fit at 4C is maybe not what he wants personally, as he's playing for a new deal. But as motivating factors go, it might be just what he needs.
Players like Ross Colton are also in a similar situation right now. For Colton, surviving the deadline still on this roster is a golden opportunity to turn things around. Just like Nichuskin, Colton has seemed the victim of rotten luck for much of the year. But ask any player in that room if they feel unlucky to be riding in what could be a generational wagon.
A great example of this also came from none other than Joel Kiviranta yesterday afternoon. Kiviranta is one of my favorite grinders for the Avalanche. Sadly for Kiviranta, he is now closer to being not just down the lineup, but a healthy scatch-type forward.
If you watched yesterday's matinee game, Kiviranta brought the best of what he offers against Minnesota. Kivi was a ball of energy and determination in his minutes and was instrumental in the game tying goal that saw two of the newest Avalanche aqusitions in Brett Kulak and Nicolas Roy shine.
Yes, the Nazem Kadri return is the best news for Avalanche fans coming out of the deadline. But the ripple effects of the big splash could be just what this roster needs to again reach hockey's summit in June.