October 19th 2024.
Valeri Nichushkin has made his way back to Denver, while Kaapo Kahkonen has officially joined the Colorado Avalanche team, according to an announcement made by the team on Saturday. However, Nichushkin will not be joining the team immediately as he is currently in Stage 3 of the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program. He will be participating in skating and workouts away from the team for the time being. This decision was made by general manager Chris MacFarland, who stated before the season began that Nichushkin would be returning to the team from Russia at the end of this month.
Nichushkin was placed into Stage 3 of the program on May 13, 2024 - the same day as Game 4 against the Dallas Stars during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was suspended for a minimum of six months, and will be eligible for reinstatement next month. However, he will also have to prove that he has met the requirements of Stage 3 before being allowed to return. MacFarland also mentioned that he has received positive reports from the program's doctors regarding Nichushkin's progress.
Despite missing a significant portion of the 2023-24 season due to being in Stage 2 of the player assistance program, Nichushkin had the best season of his career with 28 goals and 53 points in just 54 games. He also added nine goals and an assist in eight playoff games before his suspension.
In other news, the Avalanche have acquired Kahkonen on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on October 11. However, he has been unable to join the team immediately due to the immigration process. But, he was finally able to participate in practice with the team on Saturday.
Kahkonen has played in 139 NHL games with a .899 save percentage, including a .898 last season in 37 games split between San Jose and New Jersey. The Avalanche currently has a team save percentage of .780, which is the lowest in the NHL. The difference between Colorado and the second-worst team, Nashville, is also larger than the difference between the Predators and the Kings, who are in 19th place.
Alexandar Georgiev has been the starting goaltender for all five games, but he was pulled from the first two. His save percentage is currently at .811 after stopping 17 of 20 shots in Friday night's win. Backup goalie Justus Annunen, who had a .928 save percentage in 14 games last season, has allowed four goals on 17 shots in his two relief appearances.
Despite the struggles in goal, the Avalanche were able to secure their first win of the season on Friday night. To stay updated on all things Avalanche, be sure to sign up for the Avalanche Insider to receive all the latest NHL analysis.
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