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

[forsbergavs32]

I mean, it would be great if he scored but I can’t fault the guy for getting robbed several times or hitting the post. I think he’ll get one at some point this season.


TBH, we have other guys who can score. I think Nuke does more positive on the team than at least Jost, Megna, Tynan and Wilson (when healthy) on a consistent basis. All those little things on defense, board battles and the forecheck add up and have lead to several goals that didn’t get him on the scoresheet

 

[klozge]

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

He lacks offensive instincts. Still does many good things and absolutely helps his team win but it's not bad luck which is holding him back offensively imo.

 

[MarkT]

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.

From what I heard, he didn't play like this with Dallas. Stars fans talked about him being invisible, which is the opposite of what he's been this season. If nobody signed him this offseason, then I wouldn't have been shocked - I expected him to go to Russia. But given how he's played with the Avs, if he doesn't score I'll be even more shocked.

 

[BrettHullsToe]

From what I heard, he didn't play like this with Dallas.

Actually, this thread sounds eerily similar to how us Stars fans talked about him last season. He started out responsible defensively, didn't take penalties and occasionally drew them, generated offensive chances that he almost buried and was sure to start getting goals any game now. Then somewhere around the halfway point he started being invisible and getting scratched more and more often.

We now know from the interview he gave earlier this season that he got frustrated and quit working which is what led to the scratches. Hopefully he learned his lesson and will at least keep working for the Avs even when not producing.

 

[Foppa2118]

For the love of Stanley can we get this guy a goal?

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I just burned my first chicken on a pyre made of willow branches and rum. It's now in the hands of JoBu.

 

[Freudian]

His bad luck is our good luck charm. May he never score a goal again, even in practice. Don't mess with success.

 

[Drury_Sakic]

To think, people were upset when the Avs signed him to a low value, one year, no risk contract..... System depth, thy name is.

Odd that a guy that you had hopes of finding some offensive spark, maybe filling in for Rants at the start of the year even.....has in an odd way surpassed any possible offensive potential by become a solid depth plug player you can trust on any line....and he has a heck of work ethic and brain for doing the right thing on almost every play. He does so many little things well.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

If he scores at this point it has to either be an ENG, Kerfoot-esque how did the goalie not save that muffin, or a super greasy tip in, right?

 

[Alex Jones]

If he scores at this point it has to either be an ENG, Kerfoot-esque how did the goalie not save that muffin, or a super greasy tip in, right?

At this point the ENG might be his best shot.

 

[Balthazar]

If only he could be a 25 pts guy, he'd be the perfect 4th liner. He's almost like a bigger Calvert, it's hard not to like him but he needs to find a way to produce.

 

[PAZ]

If only he could be a 25 pts guy, he'd be the perfect 4th liner. He's almost like a bigger Calvert, it's hard not to like him but he needs to find a way to produce.

I disagree, he doesn't need to produce to be a perfect 4th liner, but there are certain aspects of his game which needs to be improved and most likely would lead to more points. Nuke has surprisingly good acceleration, he just isn't that fast once he gets going. If he can figure out how to break out of the D-zone and maintain puck possession once he gets over the red line that would be a huge boon moving forward. Which leads to my second point, he has a huge frame, if he can learn how to use that a bit better he'll be able to control play a bit more. I don't expect him to get much faster than he already is, but he seems to be buying into being a bottom 6er. He definitely has the tools, and if he gets constant ice-time he'll most likely improve.

 

[klozge]

He was so good against the Flames. Just powering through everything.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

If he scores at this point it has to either be an ENG, Kerfoot-esque how did the goalie not save that muffin, or a super greasy tip in, right?

A puck is going to bounce off him and in, it will be a happy accident

 

[Bubba Thudd]

A puck is going to bounce off him and in, it will be a happy accident

and then, 10 goals in the next 10 games.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

Ye he is playing well. I think his confidence is just low when it comes to scoring since he probably doesn’t remember what that is anymore...

I think he needs to just change something about himself. I would suggest a number change. I mean number “13”? Really? That’s already bad luck. Flip it around to number 31 or something and watch he will score!

 

[ETTHAKING67]

He was so good against the Flames. Just powering through everything.

I was watching him last night and i'm confident he will be a great fourth line winger either for us or for an other NHL team but he's an NHLer.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I really like Nuke, he could never score a goal again and still be a very good contributor to an NHL team. He hustles, is good defensively and creates chances for his linemates.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Nuke is one of those classic examples of the stats not telling the full story. Two points in 17 games isn’t really any kind of production, but he’s been very solid on most nights. As long as he’s playing in a role where he’s not expected to produce, I’m happy to have him on the Avs.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

Given the way the players react to each other's milestones (spraying water bottles and joking around) I wonder how acutely aware they are of Nuke's lack of production and what will happen if he pots a goal. It will be the opposite of the Duchene 30-goal milestone where Duchene over-celebrated alone. I can imagine the team springing to life.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Nuke is one of those classic examples of the stats not telling the full story. Two points in 17 games isn’t really any kind of production, but he’s been very solid on most nights. As long as he’s playing in a role where he’s not expected to produce, I’m happy to have him on the Avs.

He does so many thing right in terms of being a net front presence and blocking the goalies view. He's been directly responsible for a lot more points than have been reflected on his stat sheet, if that makes any sense. Just getting in the way and creating havoc has allowed the team to score, even if he didn't touch the puck.

 

[Pokecheque]

He has to be the most north-south player I've ever seen. He rockets right along in that direction but there is NO lateral movement whatsoever. He just plain skated into some Flames defenders and coughed up the puck a couple times last night.

But yes, I've largely been impressed with him thus far.

 

[cgf]

For the love of Stanley can we get this guy a goal?

No. There are sacrifices that must be made to raise the cup of glory...Nuke's self-esteem is but one of them.

Ye he is playing well. I think his confidence is just low when it comes to scoring since he probably doesn’t remember what that is anymore...

I think he needs to just change something about himself. I would suggest a number change. I mean number “13”? Really? That’s already bad luck. Flip it around to number 31 or something and watch he will score!

At this point, he should just steer into the curse. If he were to change it, the only better choice than "13" would be "00"

 

[cgf]

He has to be the most north-south player I've ever seen. He rockets right along in that direction but there is NO lateral movement whatsoever. He just plain skated into some Flames defenders and coughed up the puck a couple times last night.

But yes, I've largely been impressed with him thus far.

You should've seen him in the MHL during his draft year lol. Pretty much the same size & power/burst, but going up against kids instead of grown men...I dunno if he ever needed to a do a thing but receive the puck & start heading to the net

 

[henchman21]

You should've seen him in the MHL during his draft year lol. Pretty much the same size & power/burst, but going up against kids instead of grown men...I dunno if he ever needed to a do a thing but receive the puck & start heading to the net

And just imagine when he gets his man strength! Certainly going to dominate the NHL in the same manner! Nuke should be in discussion with the top 4 with MacK, Jones, Barkov, and Drouin. Hell, he should arguably go #1!