Confirmed with Link: 2019 Off-Season Avs sign Nichushkin to 1 year deal

[expatriatedtexan]

Nuke's situation is just absolutely crazy. I just feel like his efforts are having a real good effect on the point totals for his teammates even if it isn't necessarily being reflected on his own stat-line.

He does so many little things incredibly well that even if he doesn't score he has a net positive impact for the team. Assuming this is the standard level of play we see throughout the season, I wouldn't mind extending him for another year maybe two.

 

[Foppa2118]

The crazy thing is he's getting good shots off. It's not like he's flubbing on his shots, or always shooting into the goalies chest. He's just getting robbed every single time.

 

[Anders Cain]

The crazy thing is he's getting good shots off. It's not like he's flubbing on his shots, or always shooting into the goalies chest. He's just getting robbed every single time.

This is what I'm seeing too... He's had some great chances where he did everything right but goalies be goalieing x10

 

[Foppa2118]

Nuke's situation is just absolutely crazy. I just feel like his efforts are having a real good effect on the point totals for his teammates even if it isn't necessarily being reflected on his own stat-line.

He does so many little things incredibly well that even if he doesn't score he has a net positive impact for the team. Assuming this is the standard level of play we see throughout the season, I wouldn't mind extending him for another year maybe two.

He's one of the best on the team on the forecheck. He uses his speed and his big body really well, and he works hard. That's the most important thing. He out battles guys down low to keep pucks alive, and goes to the net afterwards.

He works hard defensively and seems to have been working on his PK like I wanted to see from him. With his speed and long reach, he could turn himself into a great PKer if he keeps working at it.

I thought he'd be a bit too passive, or invisible when he wasn't scoring, but he's the exact opposite. Really hope he gets a goal soon to reward him for his effort.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

He’s going to get one eventually anyway because with the way he plays in the defensive zone you’re soon going to see him out while the opposition has an empty net.

 

[Avs9296]

Also he is probably the best goalie screener on the team (besides maybe Landeskog who is better at tipping pucks). Hes been in front of the goalie for at least a half dozen goals this year by other players.

I'd like to see him on the first unit PP in front of the net while Landeskog is out of the lineup.

 

[henchman21]

He’s going to get one eventually anyway because with the way he plays in the defensive zone you’re soon going to see him out while the opposition has an empty net.

He'd still find a way not to score.

 

[MarkT]

At this point I think I legitimately want Nichushkin to score more than I want the Avs to win any one particular game. I think it's my fault we got torched in Edmonton. When I'm not focused on the Avs they tend to struggle.

 

[The Kingslayer]

At this point I think I legitimately want Nichushkin to score more than I want the Avs to win any one particular game. I think it's my fault we got torched in Edmonton. When I'm not focused on the Avs they tend to struggle.

Maybe he needs to borrow Rantanens stick or something lol. I want him to get a goal in the worst way.

 

[Ceremony]

He's certainly been better than I expected.

 

[McMetal]

I must be in the minority in thinking that I haven't been overly impressed with him. To make it in the league, even as a 4th liner, you need to show SOME modicum of offense. Even Sheldon Dries managed to put away a few last season, and he should be nowhere near an NHL lineup. Yeah, he works hard, but his stone hands are eventually going to catch up to him and force him out of an NHL job.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I must be in the minority in thinking that I haven't been overly impressed with him. To make it in the league, even as a 4th liner, you need to show SOME modicum of offense. Even Sheldon Dries managed to put away a few last season, and he should be nowhere near an NHL lineup. Yeah, he works hard, but his stone hands are eventually going to catch up to him and force him out of an NHL job.

I dont even think he has stone hands.... I mean they're obviously not great but he has gotten himself into some real good scoring chances and gotten real good shots off in those chances.

He has been flat out robbed a number of times this year.

 

[Avsavsavsavsavs]

I just woke up from a nap and had a dream that Nuke scored off of his face, here's to hoping.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I must be in the minority in thinking that I haven't been overly impressed with him. To make it in the league, even as a 4th liner, you need to show SOME modicum of offense. Even Sheldon Dries managed to put away a few last season, and he should be nowhere near an NHL lineup. Yeah, he works hard, but his stone hands are eventually going to catch up to him and force him out of an NHL job.

He’s such a weird player, because he can’t score to save his life but he seems to always make a positive impact when he’s out there since he does a lot of the little things so well.

 

[MarkT]

I must be in the minority in thinking that I haven't been overly impressed with him. To make it in the league, even as a 4th liner, you need to show SOME modicum of offense. Even Sheldon Dries managed to put away a few last season, and he should be nowhere near an NHL lineup. Yeah, he works hard, but his stone hands are eventually going to catch up to him and force him out of an NHL job.

I couldn't disagree more. It's thinking like this that cause people to overvalue guys who are on a high shooting percentage bender. You could be the best offensive player in the league, but if the goalie is making great saves or you're getting bad bounces, you're not going to score. I've been watching Nichushkin closely, and he's been doing more than enough to get goals. He's not shooting it into the goalie's chest or over the net. He's forcing the goalie to make saves, and I think once he pots one they'll start to come more regularly.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

I couldn't disagree more. It's thinking like this that cause people to overvalue guys who are on a high shooting percentage bender. You could be the best offensive player in the league, but if the goalie is making great saves or you're getting bad bounces, you're not going to score. I've been watching Nichushkin closely, and he's been doing more than enough to get goals. He's not shooting it into the goalie's chest or over the net. He's forcing the goalie to make saves, and I think once he pots one they'll start to come more regularly.

No. He'll get injured after his first goal. First shift after.

 

[MarkT]

No. He'll get injured after his first goal. First shift after.

 

[McMetal]

I couldn't disagree more. It's thinking like this that cause people to overvalue guys who are on a high shooting percentage bender. You could be the best offensive player in the league, but if the goalie is making great saves or you're getting bad bounces, you're not going to score. I've been watching Nichushkin closely, and he's been doing more than enough to get goals. He's not shooting it into the goalie's chest or over the net. He's forcing the goalie to make saves, and I think once he pots one they'll start to come more regularly.

The best offensive players in the league MAKE their own puck luck. I'm not even asking Nuke to do that for us, all I'm saying is that if he can't produce some offense soon, he'll find himself scratched out of the healthy lineup, not qualified, and back in the KHL. A five point pace over 82 games just is not good enough to be an NHL player, I don't care how many little things you do right. Nobody gets credit for "almost a goal".

 

[MarkT]

The best offensive players in the league MAKE their own puck luck. I'm not even asking Nuke to do that for us, all I'm saying is that if he can't produce some offense soon, he'll find himself scratched out of the healthy lineup, not qualified, and back in the KHL. A five point pace over 82 games just is not good enough to be an NHL player, I don't care how many little things you do right. Nobody gets credit for "almost a goal".

Where did I or anyone else claim that that Nichushkin is one of the best offensive players in the league? Yeah, guys like MacKinnon make their own luck. Most of the players in the league rely a lot on the other team (especially the goaltender) making a mistake.

If he keeps playing like he is, and Bednar scratches him then Bednar is an idiot. If he keeps playing like he has been and the Avs don't qualify him then they are idiots too. Scoring goals is not all that matters.

 

[McMetal]

Where did I or anyone else claim that that Nichushkin is one of the best offensive players in the league? Yeah, guys like MacKinnon make their own luck. Most of the players in the league rely a lot on the other team (especially the goaltender) making a mistake.

If he keeps playing like he is, and Bednar scratches him then Bednar is an idiot. If he keeps playing like he has been and the Avs don't qualify him then they are idiots too. Scoring goals is not all that matters.

You made the claim that top offensive players in the league can't score if nothing is going their way, and I pointed out that that isn't true at all. At some point, if a player isn't scoring, it's on them for not finding a way to make it happen. If not, try your luck in a lesser league.

And no, scoring isn't everything, but like I said, if you're going to keep an NHL job, you have to score SOMETHING. If you can't provide at least a little bit of offense in this league, you'll be replaced by someone who can. It's the best league in the world and there are lots of guys vying for Nuke's job. Trying really hard just isn't enough, or else I'd be wearing an NHL sweater.

Cody McLeod was hardly an offensive star, but even he managed to pot a half dozen goals a year or so and stay in the league for many years. That's literally the bar I'm setting for him, it's very low and he still isn't meeting it

 

[MarkT]

You made the claim that top offensive players in the league can't score if nothing is going their way, and I pointed out that that isn't true at all. At some point, if a player isn't scoring, it's on them for not finding a way to make it happen. If not, try your luck in a lesser league.

And no, scoring isn't everything, but like I said, if you're going to keep an NHL job, you have to score SOMETHING. If you can't provide at least a little bit of offense in this league, you'll be replaced by someone who can. It's the best league in the world and there are lots of guys vying for Nuke's job. Trying really hard just isn't enough, or else I'd be wearing an NHL sweater.

Cody McLeod was hardly an offensive star, but even he managed to pot a half dozen goals a year or so and stay in the league for many years. That's literally the bar I'm setting for him, it's very low and he still isn't meeting it

I was only using the idea of "top offensive players" because you don't seem to understand that offensive players aren't 100% in control of whether or not they score.

Response to the bold: are legitimate scoring chances not "providing offense"?

And of course trying really hard isn't enough. Is anyone besides you claiming that Nichushkin just tries hard out there and that's it? Yes, he tries hard, but he also plays well defensively, makes good passes, works effectively along the boards, oh, and consistently gets scoring chances.

As for guys like McLeod, how many scoring chances did he get per game? Do you think it's anywhere close to the rate Nichushkin has had this season? How many breakaways did Cody have in his entire career? How many has Nichushkin had so far this season?

Honestly, you're sounding like the kind of guy who just looks at box scores and uses that to determine who is good and who isn't.

 

[McMetal]

I was only using the idea of "top offensive players" because you don't seem to understand that offensive players aren't 100% in control of whether or not they score.

Response to the bold: are legitimate scoring chances not "providing offense"?

And of course trying really hard isn't enough. Is anyone besides you claiming that Nichushkin just tries hard out there and that's it? Yes, he tries hard, but he also plays well defensively, makes good passes, works effectively along the boards, oh, and consistently gets scoring chances.

As for guys like McLeod, how many scoring chances did he get per game? Do you think it's anywhere close to the rate Nichushkin has had this season? How many breakaways did Cody have in his entire career? How many has Nichushkin had so far this season?

Honestly, you're sounding like the kind of guy who just looks at box scores and uses that to determine who is good and who isn't.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that hockey games are won based on how many scoring chances were had for and against. I thought pucks in the net were the only thing that mattered. My mistake.

Look, I'm not debating that he is winning lots of puck battles (on a team that has struggled with that for years) and making some nice plays. That has value, certainly. What I am saying is that THOSE THINGS ALONE are not enough to keep you on an NHL roster. Results on the score sheet may not be the only thing that matters, but that doesn't mean they don't matter at all.

 

[MarkT]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that hockey games are won based on how many scoring chances were had for and against. I thought pucks in the net were the only thing that mattered. My mistake.

You don't get goals without scoring chances. Players who get a lot of quality scoring chances also tend to produce goals. When that's not happening it's often due to great goaltending or poor luck. Blaming not scoring on a player when they're getting quality scoring chances is unfair because I think blaming people for things outside their control is unfair.

Look, I'm not debating that he is winning lots of puck battles (on a team that has struggled with that for years) and making some nice plays. That has value, certainly. What I am saying is that THOSE THINGS ALONE are not enough to keep you on an NHL roster. Results on the score sheet may not be the only thing that matters, but that doesn't mean they don't matter at all.

I never said results on the score sheet don't matter. In any individual game whoever scores the most wins. You could outplay the other team completely, but if they score more they win. But over the long term things like scoring chances and the other things Nichushkin does actually can have more value than just scoring. It goes back to the Patrick Laine debates from last season. Is a player really valuable if he only contributes to wins when he scores, and otherwise doesn't help?

Basically my viewpoint on Nichushkin is that he's playing well enough to score, and the fact that he hasn't is more down to bad luck than anything he's doing wrong. Since I don't actually believe in curses, I'm assuming that if he keeps playing like this eventually his luck will even out and he'll start to score. The idea of him playing this same way all season and never scoring is incredibly unlikely

 

[atreyuavenged]

He's doing everything right, just can't buy a goal if his life depended on it.

 

[McMetal]

You don't get goals without scoring chances. Players who get a lot of quality scoring chances also tend to produce goals. When that's not happening it's often due to great goaltending or poor luck. Blaming not scoring on a player when they're getting quality scoring chances is unfair because I think blaming people for things outside their control is unfair.



I never said results on the score sheet don't matter. In any individual game whoever scores the most wins. You could outplay the other team completely, but if they score more they win. But over the long term things like scoring chances and the other things Nichushkin does actually can have more value than just scoring. It goes back to the Patrick Laine debates from last season. Is a player really valuable if he only contributes to wins when he scores, and otherwise doesn't help?

Basically my viewpoint on Nichushkin is that he's playing well enough to score, and the fact that he hasn't is more down to bad luck than anything he's doing wrong. Since I don't actually believe in curses, I'm assuming that if he keeps playing like this eventually his luck will even out and he'll start to score. The idea of him playing this same way all season and never scoring is incredibly unlikely

You are entitled to your hopes. But this goes back a lot longer than just this season. I believe he's gone 100+ NHL games without scoring a goal. At what point does it become more than just rotten luck? You have to draw the line somewhere.