"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." - Frank Seravalli
