Friday Faceoff: Can the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup without a big contribution from Valeri Nichushkin?

Mark Kiszla, columnist

Answer: No

We hear the Choo Choo a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend. The return of Valeri Nichushkin from a sixth-month suspension will be a dose of sunshine for an Avalanche team stuck under a cloud of bad luck.

This hockey club has issues, from goaltending that can’t be trusted to another rehabilitation setback for long-injured captain Gabe Landeskog. But the Avs have doubled down on the belief Nichushkin will beat his demons this time and again provide the offensive firepower that can make Colorado a legit championship contender.

When last we saw Nichushkin in a burgundy-and-blue sweater, he had nine goals in eight playoff games, looking like a serious contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP. And then he disappeared. Again. When the Avs needed him most.

I was at the rink way back in 2001, when Peter Forsberg ruptured his spleen during Game 7 of the second round, but Colorado went on to hoist the Cup without him. The current Avs, however, are no match for a club that could lean on Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy in the clutch. So when Nichushkin was forced by the league to seek help, his teammates quickly folded in the second round against Dallas.

If Nichushkin returns Nov. 15 and takes the ice against Washington in Ball Arena, he will be welcomed with open arms and a standing ovation, because our hearts wish lasting happiness for Choo Choo and his family. But can Colorado rely on him to show up for work every day from now until June? The obvious answer is no. The Avs, however, have convinced themselves their only good option is to hope for the best.

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Evan Rawal, Avalanche reporter

Answer: Not a chance

Mikko Rantanen said it best: “We need him.”

He’s not wrong.

Valeri Nichushkin came to Colorado right before the start of the 2019-20 season. Since arriving, the Avalanche have a 195-67-27 record with him in the lineup. When he’s not in the lineup, they’re 43-34-6. Not terrible, but not a record you’d expect to see from a Cup contender.

That locker room was deflated last year after it lost Game 4, the same day the big suspension was announced. Can you blame them?

They knew it wasn’t going to be their year.

Outside of Nathan MacKinnon, there’s a very real possibility that Nichushkin is their second-most valuable forward. Last season, no forward on the team averaged more shifts-per-game than the big Russian, including the Hart Trophy winner. No matter what the situation, Jared Bednar will use Nichushkin, and he will be remarkably effective because he’s one of the best two-way players in the world.

And that’s a big reason why he’s being welcomed back with open arms. If you had asked most of the organization five months ago what they thought of him, the responses would not have been so pleasant. With a 6-7 record, sub-par goaltending, and no return in sight for captain Gabriel Landeskog, they don’t have a choice other than to welcome him back.

I hope Nichushkin got the help he needed this summer. He’s a human being like the rest of us and has a family. Even with Colorado’s goaltending issues, this team is a contender with him in the lineup.

He’s that good.