Blue Jackets Trade for Valeri Nichushkin Ahead of NHL Draft

The Columbus Blue Jackets made a significant move on the eve of the NHL Draft, acquiring versatile winger Valeri Nichushkin from the Colorado Avalanche. In exchange, the Blue Jackets sent the 43rd overall pick in this weekend’s draft, along with a third-round pick in 2024 and a fifth-round pick in 2028, to Colorado.

Columbus general manager Don Waddell expressed enthusiasm about the addition, stating, “Valeri is a big, strong forward who skates exceptionally well, can score goals, win puck battles and doesn’t shy away from playing in the hard areas. He is an accomplished two-way player who competes at a high level, and we are very excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets family.”

Nichushkin has a notable playoff pedigree, scoring nine goals during the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup run, even playing through injury in the decisive Game 6 of the finals on a broken right foot. However, his availability has been a concern; the 31-year-old winger faced off-ice issues that sidelined him during the playoffs in both 2023 and 2024, culminating in an indefinite suspension after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January 2024.

With four years remaining on his contract, carrying a salary cap hit of $6.125 million, Nichushkin’s departure opens up salary cap space for Colorado. This flexibility may be crucial for the Avalanche as they look to negotiate a long-term extension for star defenseman Cale Makar, especially with Joe Sakic returning as general manager following Chris MacFarland’s departure.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers ensured they would maintain their physicality by acquiring Garnet Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers. In exchange for the 34-year-old winger, Florida sent a fifth-round pick in this weekend’s draft and a fourth-round pick next year. Hathaway, who has one season left on his contract with a cap hit of $2.4 million, joins the Panthers after they traded for Brady Tkachuk, reuniting him with his brother Matthew after the team missed the playoffs following back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.

As for the Washington Capitals, they continued their busy week by trading pending restricted free agent forward Hendrix Lapierre to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins provided a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick in exchange for the 24-year-old, who struggled to find his footing with the team that drafted him.

This trade comes as Washington has been active in the market, having added potential game-changers Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch. With the draft looming, the trading frenzy is expected to escalate. After sending Kyrou to the Capitals for Connor McMichael, the 16th overall pick, and a prospect, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong noted that the trade allows other teams to assess their options and potentially engage with St. Louis.

“Instead of 12 hours, it allows them 48-plus hours to really dig into what they have and what we have and see if there’s a potential match there,” Armstrong explained, emphasizing St. Louis’s league-high four first-round picks this year.

On the front of the Toronto Maple Leafs, general manager John Chayka revealed that the team had fielded calls about the first overall pick but ultimately decided to retain it. They are expected to select Penn State winger Gavin McKenna, who has garnered significant attention leading up to the draft.

In a notable move, the San Jose Sharks traded young forward William Eklund to Ottawa for the No. 9 pick, enhancing their draft strategy as they look to build around their second overall pick.

“I think teams are curious about what our plan was to do with 9,” GM Mike Grier said. “There’s lots more calls on 9 and probably two more on 2 — one that’s real interesting. … All stuff for us to consider.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.