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Colorado Avalanche news: GM provide updates on Kadri's departure, Landeskog's recovery, and Nichushkin's future
Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland says the team is still feeling the impact of Nazem Kadri leaving in free agency last summer and gave plenty of other updates.
Kadri played for the Avalanche for three seasons from 2019 until 2022 and helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Yet, after winning the Stanley Cup, Nazem Kadri signed a seven-year $49,000,000 deal with the Calgary Flames. It created a big hole for the Avalanche about which MacFarland spoke to The Athletic. The GM said it was a tough loss to deal with last season.
“Naz was a big, big loss for us, along with Burky (Andre Burakosvky), right? The flat cap came at a tough time for a lot of teams. No one’s going to feel bad for you obviously. But Naz was the perfect, complementary no. 2 center to Nathan (MacKinnon)."
He continued:
"He could carry a line. He carried a big load offensively. J.T. filled in really, really admirably into those shoes and put up over 50 points and got rewarded with a big contract.”
With the Avalanche, Kadri skated in 178 regular season games and recorded 155 points. In the year they won the Stanley Cup, Kadri skated in 16 playoff games recorded 15 points, and scored an OT-winning goal in the Cup Final.
Gabriel Landeskog update
The Colorado Avalanche also received news that Gabriel Landeskog will miss all of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Landeskog also missed all of the 2022-23 NHL season as he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after winning the Stanley Cup.
However, the surgery did not work, and it was announced that Landeskog would require a cartilage transplant surgery that would keep him out of this entire season.
MacFarland said:
“He’s about four months (into his recovery), and he’s doing incredibly well. We miss so much about what he brings, not just in terms of the goals and assists and power play and penalty kill, but just his presence in the room, being one of our emotional-barometer guys."
He added:
“He’s going to miss the regular season, and then I wouldn’t bet against Gabriel Landeskog in anything. If there’s somebody that’s going to deal with what he’s dealing with, with the right attitude and determination, it’s him. He’s our Viking.”
If Landeskog could return for the playoffs it would be a big addition. However, he hasn't played hockey in two years so how he will look on his return remains uncertain
Valeri Nichushkin will be back with the Colorado Avalanche
General manager Chris MacFarland also gave an update on Valeri Nichushkin.
The Russian stepped away from the team for "personal reasons" amid an incident at a Seattle hotel. According to reports, Nichushkin was found with an Eastern European woman suffering from severe alcohol intoxication and the woman was reported to be either a prostitute or victim of human trafficking.
Since then, Nichushkin has yet to comment on the matter, but MacFarland said he will be back with the team for this season.
“He is a very important part of our team. I believe Val is going to come back and have a monster year for us. We’re counting on him. He was such a force for us. With Landy out, we need his size and strength and for him to play a big role, and I’m confident that he will.”
Last season, Valeri Nichushkin recorded 47 points in 53 games.
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