In the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Nichushkin registered three points (2g/1a) in 15 contests, reaching career highs in goals, points and games played in a single playoff year. He ranked second on the team with 53 hits and recorded his first career playoff multi-goal game in Game 4 of Colorado's second-round series against Dallas on Aug. 30.
"Valeri played important minutes for us this season and had one of the best years of his career," said Avalanche Executive Vice President / General Manager Joe Sakic. "He is a big, young winger who provides depth scoring, can play up and down our lineup and is reliable defensively. We're happy to have him back for another two seasons."
The Stars' first selection in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft (10th overall), Nichushkin has collected 101 points (36g/65a) in 288 career NHL regular-season contests and six points (3g/3a) in 32 overall postseason outings.
Nichushkin has also appeared in five career contests (0g/4a) with Dallas' American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, and has dressed in 104 career KHL games (31g/26a) in Russia with Traktor Chelyabinsk and CSKA Moscow. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound right wing has registered 23 points (10g/13a) in 53 career KHL postseason contests.
Nichushkin spent two seasons skating for CSKA Moscow from 2016-18 and was named to the KHL All-Star Game in 2016-17 after producing 24 points (11g/13a) in 36 regular-season outings. He recorded 27 points (16g/11a) in 50 games in 2017-18 while also leading the team with seven game-winning goals, two of which were in overtime.
Internationally, Nichushkin (pronounced nih-CHOOSH-kihn) won a bronze medal with Team Russia at the 2017 IIHF World Championship and represented his country at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. He also won a bronze medal with Russia at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship and competed at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge, the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2012 and 2013 IIHF U18 World Championships.
