Breaking: Former top 10 pick Nichushkin signs NHL deal with new team

This just in, former 10th overall pick (2013 NHL Entry Draft) Valeri Nichushkin has signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

Check it out:

The 24 year old Nichushkin scored zero goals and 10 points in 57 games with the Dallas Stars last season, his first season back in the NHL after a two year stint in the KHL. Incredibly though, Nichushkin broke into the NHL as a 20 year old and put up an impressive 14 goals and 34 points in 79 games during the 2013-14 season.

Suffice it to say, a little bit of the lustre has come off Nichushkin. To the point where the Stars let him walk away to free agency for nothing.

Read below for the full press release of today’s signing, courtesy of the Avalanche’s website:

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed forward*Valeri Nichushkin*to a one-year contract for the upcoming 2019-20 season.

Nichushkin, 24, played his fourth NHL season with the Dallas Stars in 2018-19 where he tallied 10 points (0g/10a) in 57 games. The right wing has registered 74 points (23g/51a) in 223 career NHL regular-season contests and has recorded three points (1g/2a) in 17 career games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Stars’ first pick in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft (10th overall), Nichushkin has also appeared in five career contests (0g/4a) with Dallas’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, and has dressed in 104 career KHL games (31g/26a) in Russia with Traktor Chelyabinsk and CSKA Moscow. The Chelyabinsk, Russia, native has registered 23 points (10g/13a) in 53 career KHL postseason contests.

“Valeri is a big, young winger who adds depth to our roster and brings competition to our training camp,” said*Avalanche Executive Vice President / General Manager Joe Sakic*. “He brings NHL experience to our team and we are excited to have him with our organization.”

Prior to playing for Dallas in 2018-19, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward spent the previous two seasons skating for CSKA Moscow. Nichushkin was named to the KHL All-Star Game in 2016-17 after producing 24 points (11g/13a) in 36 regular-season outings and then recorded 27 points (16g/11a) in 50 games in 2017-18 while also leading the team with seven game-winning goals, two of which were in overtime.

Internationally, Nichushkin (pronounced/nih-CHOOSH-kihn/) won a bronze medal with Team Russia at the 2017 IIHF World Championship and represented his country at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. He also won a bronze medal with Russia at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship and competed at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge, the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2012 and 2013 IIHF U18 World Championships.