Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche continue to shake up the roster, and this is the biggest move yet.
The Avs sent Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, removing another member of the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team. Columbus is sending three draft picks to Colorado — a second-round selection in 2026, a third-round choice in 2027 and a fifth-rounder in 2028.
Nichushkin had 17 goals and 49 points in 72 games for the Avs this past season. The 31-year-old power forward has four seasons left on his contract with a salary cap hit of $6.125 million.
Nichushkin is also the third forward from the 2025-26 Presidents’ Trophy winning club that is no longer on the roster since Sakic took over general manager duties earlier this month. Sakic also traded both Ross Colton and restricted free agent Jack Drury in separate deals to former GM Chris MacFarland with the Nashville Predators.
