"Nichushkin, 29, cannot have his contract terminated while he is in the program, but it's possible once he is eligible for reinstatement. Will the Avs do that? There are six years and $30.5 million remaining. It sure seemed like listening to Nichushkin's teammates that, despite the addiction, he violated their trust two years in a row when the season mattered most. This isn't a bottom-six role player, this was the playoff leader in goals at the time of his suspension. He is a horse. And even if Gabriel Landeskog is back healthy to start next season, the Avalanche will have some work to do to rebuild their depth, which was clearly outclassed by Dallas." Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff said.
