Avalanche Have 100 Points of Offense They Need to Replace
It’s laughable to say anything about the Colorado Avalanche struggling. They certainly didn’t struggle offensively last season.
Finding the back of the net was not a problem.
The Avalanche finished the 2025-26 season with 298 goals. There were several contributors, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring 53, Martin Necas scoring 38, and Brock Nelson adding 33.
Now, as training camp is fast approaching, there is still an offensive question hidden beneath all that talent.
Who replaces what Valeri Nichushkin gave the Avalanche?
The Avalanche worked a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that sent Nichushkin away and, in return, got the team three draft picks. That ended his seven-year tenure with the organization.
The Avalanche didn’t go out and get a direct replacement for him. Maybe they don’t have to.
Nichushkin Left More Than 17 Goals Behind
Nichushkin was a contributor to the team, with 17 goals and 49 points in 72 games last season. He was fifth on the Avalanche team in scoring.
You have to look past the scoresheet to recognize Nichushkin’s value.
He’s a 6-foot-4 winger who gave the organization size. He could play around the net and he was capable of moving through the lineup.
That’s not something you can easily just go find, and they didn’t.
Jaden Schwartz is the Avalanche’s most established free-agent signing. If anyone is expecting him to become the next Nichushkin, they are going to be disappointed. At 34, Schwartz had 11 goals and 26 points in 50 games for Seattle last season.
Colorado seems to be taking more of a team approach to replacing Nichushkin’s production. There are several players who can come together and be a force.
Avalanche Need Players to Step Up
Gabriel Landeskog. He’s back and he’s not trying to prove anything this year other than just exactly how good he is.
He scored 14 goals and 35 points in 60 games during his first full season back in 2025-26. He finished the postseason strong with six goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games.
That postseason production could have just been a glimpse into the future.
Then there are Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux, the two 23-year-old forwards coming in from Nashville.
Neither one separately should be expected to replace Nichushkin’s production. Colorado doesn’t need them to, nor does it expect them to. What this team needs is for the group to make up the difference.
Looking over the roster, Nichushkin isn’t the only forward production that was lost.
Ross Colton contributed 24 points last season and was then traded to Nashville. Jack Drury had 27 points before he was included in the Svechkov and L’Heureux deal.
So, combine all that and the Avalanche are looking at losing 36 goals and 100 points from last season.
That’s a significant amount of offense to replace.
Training Camp Can Provide Some Answers
Everyone, take a deep breath. Colorado still has more than enough star power.
MacKinnon, Necas, and Makar are still going to be superstars. The Avalanche need more players to step up behind them.
Joe Sakic didn’t try to replace Nichushkin; it will be a replacement by committee. Whether that gamble will work or not will be a question that could start to be answered at camp.
Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NHL, NCAA and WNBA. Laura covers the Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Avalanche and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com