A final thought
Ultimately, the Avalanche wouldn’t face the aforementioned cap crunch until mid-November when Nichushkin is eligible to return.
Depending on Nichushkin’s condition and his willingness to play, the Avs may have to trade him. The problem is that there would be no market for him. I don’t foresee anyone wanting to take on Nichushkin’s cap hit at this point.
Even if the Avs gave Nichushkin away, they would find it hard for anyone else to take his contract. The Avs can’t just send him down to the AHL as his cap hit would remain on the books.
Lastly, the Avs can’t bury him in LTIR unless he’s seriously injured. Of course, these comments stem from the supposition that the Avs don’t want Nichushkin.
But if the Colorado Avalanche really want to keep Nichushkin, the team will need to get creative to fit him in the lineup. Doing so would mean sacrificing someone from the roster. The less painful way would be to dress an incomplete lineup.
In other words, the Avalanche would have to go the way of the Golden Knights and only dress 11 forwards or play without a defenseman.
This cap crunch is a bit of a nightmare scenario, but one that the Colorado Avalanche could realistically face this upcoming season. Many of the decisions at training camp will be made with this potential situation in mind.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to it. But if it does, Chris MacFarland could be a very busy GM come Thanksgiving time.