Colorado finds its Nichushkin fix with a Kraken bargain at half the price

The Avalanche didn’t waste much time. Days after shipping Valeri Nichushkin to Columbus, they quietly filled that hole on the wing with a veteran who knows what it takes to win in this league.

Jaden Schwartz is coming to Denver. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the deal is three years, $3.25 million per season. That’s a haircut from the $5.5 million he was making in Seattle. But Schwartz is 33 now and coming off an injury-shortened year, so the market adjusts.

It’s a curious fit on paper but makes sense when you think about what Colorado actually needs. They lost Nichushkin’s size and scoring touch — 26 goals in 2024-25 for Schwartz, which actually matches Nichushkin’s best seasons. But Schwartz brings something the Avalanche have lacked at times: a two-way conscience and playoff experience that goes deeper than any other forward on the roster not named Nathan MacKinnon.

Schwartz won a Cup with St. Louis in 2019. He was a pain in the neck for opponents in that run, scoring 12 goals in 26 games. He knows how to play in the dirty areas and doesn’t need the puck on his stick to be effective. That’s the kind of guy you want next to a center who controls possession.

The money makes you think

Three years at $3.25 million is pretty team-friendly if Schwartz stays healthy. His injury history is the risk. He missed 32 games this past season with Seattle, and only played 50. But when he was in the lineup, he was still generating chances and killing penalties. The Avs aren’t paying him to be a star. They’re paying him to be a reliable middle-six forward who can slide up the lineup when injuries hit.

Which they will. They always do.

Schwartz was the 14th pick in 2010, went to Colorado College, then spent a decade in St. Louis before the Kraken took him in the expansion draft. His best years were obviously with the Blues. But he showed in 2024-25 that he could still produce at a 26-goal pace. Last year was a step back, sure. But maybe a change of scenery and a reduced role will help him bounce back.

The Avs are betting on that. And considering what Nichushkin was making — $6.125 million AAV, and that’s before the off-ice headaches — this feels like a smarter allocation of cap space even if Schwartz never hits 20 goals again.

Colorado still has work to do this offseason. They need to figure out the goalie situation, and the blue line could use another reliable body. But adding Schwartz for this price? That’s a solid first swing.