Confirmed with Link: Nichushkin back in assistance program; suspended a minimum of six months

[Turbonium]

We need to give Val one more chance. 6 month.

"He won't hit me again, it was a mistake"

 

[Grigowski]

Then we are on our way to mediocracy.

I got news for you: I think we allready are.

 

[henchman21]

Now when the thread wants to get rid of Rants we need to keep Val. No Rants means there's a good chance we might sign LOCO, Drouin and maybe promote Kovalenko. Then we are on our way to mediocracy.

I don’t think Rants is going anywhere and this isn’t about anything in the ice with Nuke. He did his part to sink 2 runs in a row (though last year wasn’t going anywhere). This is the inability to get clean.

The window is likely shut now, so yeah. Sucks, but is what it is.

 

[UnkleKraker]

Don't get the personal hate from some. It's a freakin game for f**ks sake. I hope he gets well as an addict myself. I do, at the same time, think the Avs have to move on. Just the right business decision.

 

[missionAvs]

Don't get the personal hate from some. It's a freakin game for f**ks sake. I hope he gets well as an addict myself. I do, at the same time, think the Avs have to move on. Just the right business decision.

Nuke's addiction has played a huge role in derailing something that makes me happy (watching the Avs compete). He's had multiple chances and received much more support than most addicts have ever had the opportunity to receive. Therefore, f*** Nuke. I hope he never sets foot in the Avs locker room or any NHL locker room again.

 

[dahrougem2]

Don't get the personal hate from some. It's a freakin game for f**ks sake. I hope he gets well as an addict myself. I do, at the same time, think the Avs have to move on. Just the right business decision.

I wish him well.

I can also as a fan of the team say f*** Val Nichushkin for being a f***ing idiot.

 

[famicommander]

Don't get the personal hate from some. It's a freakin game for f**ks sake. I hope he gets well as an addict myself. I do, at the same time, think the Avs have to move on. Just the right business decision.

It isn't just a game. It's the livelihood, passion, and life's endeavor of an organization of hundreds of people and Nichushkin has ruined two entire seasons for all of those people.

Everyone here hopes he gets his life together for the sake of himself and his family but it should be very, very easy to keep that honest hope and still be mad at the guy. Just because he can't control himself doesn't mean he isn't still responsible for his own actions.

 

[Pacman33]

Im going back and forth on this. Such a good player at a great price. Doesnt deserve another chance but team obviously isnt better without him. I know most want him gone but curious as to what cost to get rid of him is too much? Would you wanna do a full buyout if that was only way out? What picks would you offer and hope you can move him?

 

[Golden Foppa]

Nuke's addiction has played a huge role in derailing something that makes me happy (watching the Avs compete). He's had multiple chances and received much more support than most addicts have ever had the opportunity to receive. Therefore, f*** Nuke. I hope he never sets foot in the Avs locker room or any NHL locker room again.

This is an often missed point regarding Nichushkin and his addiction. Compared to the average addict he has pretty much unlimited resources and support available to him to get better. He makes $6 million a year. He can afford to have an addiction therapist live on his property in his home if he wanted. And the team and league have resources for him too.

There's no excuse for it when you have the kind of resources that 99% of addicts don't have available.

He's choosing to dance around it so he can still occasionally have a night of alcohol and blow.

He keeps showing us who he is but some people refuse to listen to him.

I don't want another playoff run derailed because Valeri Nichushkin still wants to drink and do drugs instead of get sober.

 

[LOFIN]

He's choosing to dance around it so he can still occasionally have a night of alcohol and blow.

Do we even know that this is what it's about? I was under the impression it was opioids.

 

[Mighty Makar]

It’s time to move on from him. I bet his teammates feel the same way.

 

[Balthazar]

Can we just stop assuming that he's a poor victim of addiction? There's no evidence that he ever tried to get better and plenty of evidences that he's making really bad life choices. His teammates even called it "decisions".

The prostitutes, the gun pictures, the murky past with PED...enough with the BS already.

He's no victim he's a young millionnaire who's playing gangster and doesn't give a shit about rules, laws and authority.

 

[hockeyfish]

Im going back and forth on this. Such a good player at a great price. Doesnt deserve another chance but team obviously isnt better without him. I know most want him gone but curious as to what cost to get rid of him is too much? Would you wanna do a full buyout if that was only way out? What picks would you offer and hope you can move him?

The buyout really isn't that bad. If they are allowed to buy his contract out, that is the route to go.

Can we just stop assuming that he's a poor victim of addiction? There's no evidence that he ever tried to get better and plenty of evidences that he's making really bad life choices. His teammates even called it "decisions".

The prostitutes, the gun pictures, the murky past with PED dealing...enough with the BS already.

He's no victim he's a young millionnaire who's playing gangster and doesn't give a shit about rules, laws and authority.

Did I miss something? I don't remember anything about PED dealing.

 

[Balthazar]

Did I miss something? I don't remember anything about PED dealing.

Old stories about him being a provider of "fitness supplies" in Russia around the time that he was accused of doping.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Can we just stop assuming that he's a poor victim of addiction? There's no evidence that he ever tried to get better and plenty of evidences that he's making really bad life choices. His teammates even called it "decisions".

The prostitutes, the gun pictures, the murky past with PED dealing...enough with the BS already.

He's no victim he's a young millionnaire who's playing gangster and doesn't give a shit about rules, laws and authority.

I mean I don't think there's anything wrong with hoping he gets well. Addiction is an awful disease and everyone here wants him to get better.

But that doesn't also mean we can't move on from him because he isn't willing to help himself.

The buyout really isn't that bad. If they are allowed to buy his contract out, that is the route to go.
.

Do we really want dead cap until 2036? I would not call that good at all.

 

[Pacman33]

I mean I don't think there's anything wrong with hoping he gets well. Addiction is an awful disease and everyone here wants him to get better.

But that doesn't also mean we can't move on from him because he isn't willing to help himself.


Do we really want dead cap until 2036? I would not call that good at all.

Yea thats nuts to me. If that ends up as the only option, id rather keep him. Obviously they will try other ways first but just as a hypothetical thats too much of a hit to me

 

[dahrougem2]

TMV said it best: he doesn't believe there is any way that locker room welcomes him back.

He's gone. Just a matter of how the Avs go about getting rid of the loser.

 

[Frenchy]

One thing is certain from now on:

Nichushkin plays FIRST LINE!

or : Nichushkin plays LINE FIRST !

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

Nuke's addiction has played a huge role in derailing something that makes me happy (watching the Avs compete). He's had multiple chances and received much more support than most addicts have ever had the opportunity to receive. Therefore, f*** Nuke. I hope he never sets foot in the Avs locker room or any NHL locker room again.

So its all about you I guess? What a horrible attitude and thing to say.

 

[Freudian]

There is a path forward where he could return to the team but it's requires so many things that it's highly unlikely.

• The team is willing to take him back
• He can demonstrate in a very real way that he underlying problem has been addressed, so the risk of him boning Avs a third time is small
• He is able to apologize to his teammate in such a way they are ok with him returning

 

[Mighty Makar]

Great player on a good deal, but it’s time to move on from Nuke. He f***ed his team over last playoffs and again this playoffs, also in January. He needs help and I hope he can overcome his demons. Time to move on.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Do we even know that this is what it's about? I was under the impression it was opioids.

Don't mean to butt in here as an outsider but opiates are downers and a completely different animal than what VN is alleged to be consuming. They are also more addictive in general and the withdrawal from them is HORRIBLE. There's a huge difference between a habitual coke user and a heroin junkie (that doesn't mean VN's actions are acceptable though.) Luckily for me I never have had the desire for either, but if he were a heroin user his career would have fallen apart long before this.

 

[cinchronicity]

1) Trying a typical buyout would be suicide. It hamstrings the team for a decade.

2) Nuke has an NMC next season, so it is highly unlikely that they can trade him.

That leaves only 2 options - find a way to negate the contract or keep him on the team. Perhaps 1 or 2 people here know most of the facts about previous behavior, and I am not one of them. But I do wonder if there is enough with the hookers and drugs to get his visa revoked. That is definitely a component of the standard NHL contract - the ability to obtain and maintain Canadian and American work visas. It is a bit of a scummy back-door strategy, but Nuke has burned all his good will here, so tough luck to him.

 

[LOFIN]

Don't mean to butt in here as an outsider but opiates are downers and a completely different animal than what VN is alleged to be consuming. They are also more addictive in general and the withdrawal from them is HORRIBLE. There's a huge difference between a habitual coke user and a heroin junkie (that doesn't mean VN's actions are acceptable though.) Luckily for me I never have had the desire for either, but if he were a heroin user his career would have fallen apart long before this.

I wasn't talking about heroin, more like Oxycodone and stuff like that. Painkillers.

 

[Pokecheque]

I wish him well.

I can also as a fan of the team say f*** Val Nichushkin for being a f***ing idiot.

Yeah this is where I’m at. His addiction should be treated with kindness and understanding but it does not absolve him of personal responsibility.