There are certain holes that the Dallas Stars must fill within their team before next season. Could one of those holes be properly filled by the return of their 2013 first-round pick?
Valeri Nichushkin played his last game for the Dallas Stars on May 11, 2016. He skated for 12:42 in front of a sold-out crowd in Dallas as the Stars collapsed in game seven against the St. Louis Blues. Seems like just yesterday, doesn’t it? No?
Well, it has been two years since this ailing moment was etched into Dallas Stars history. And a lot has happened since then for the team. But unfortunately, not much of it has been good.
Since winning the Central Division and Western Conference in the 2015-16 season, the Stars have hit a downward spiral. In 2016-17, they were one of the worst teams in the NHL with a record of 34-37-11 with 79 points. It was the second-worst season in franchise history and kept Dallas well outside the playoff picture, though it also helped them in securing the third overall pick in the 2017 Draft.
And you probably don’t need a reminder as to how this past season turned out. After starting off with a strong offseason and building plenty of promise through their play, the Stars collapsed when it mattered most and fell sort of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season.
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Through these two disappointing seasons, plenty of new players have arrived while others have departed. But one player that has not necessarily arrived or departed is Valeri Nichushkin, who has spent the last two seasons playing halfway across the world.
On Sep. 20, the then-21-year-old forward accepted a two-year contract to play in the Continental Hockey League (KHL). After denying a qualifying offer from the Dallas Stars as an RFA during the summer of 2016, the Stars began trying to sign him to a new contract. But after negotiations didn’t pan out, the Russian winger accepted a contract overseas.
But that contract is up, and Dallas can now negotiate a new deal with the 23-year-old. But does he want to come back? And if so, should the Stars make it happen?
According to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic, Nichushkin wants to come back and the Stars want him, too. His agent is confident that a new deal will get done soon and Nichushkin will be locked in with Dallas once again.
So that is a quick answer for the questions at hand. The next question is where might he slot into the lineup? And how valuable will his return be to the Dallas Stars offense?
Last offseason, this question seemed foggy. The Stars re-signed and added plenty of right wing depth in the 2017 offseason and didn’t look to have a spot for the winger, who had decided to return to Russia anyways.
But now, it’s clear that Dallas could definitely use him in the lineup.
Mile High Sticking
In his first three seasons with the Dallas Stars, Nichushkin showed flashes of being the 10th overall pick that the Stars expected him to be. As a rookie, he played in 74 games and scored 14 goals while tallying 34 points. He did this in an average of 14:58 on the ice per game. As a comparison, Radek Faksa played in 79 games this year and scored 17 goals along with 33 points in an average of 15:16 on the ice per game. As you can see, those are pretty good numbers for an 18-year-old Nichushkin.
His second season was basically a throwaway after only playing in eight games and tallying one assist. Nichushkin spent the majority of the season recovering from hip surgery and still didn’t look entirely ready when he returned.
And in his final season, he didn’t play the biggest role, though he wasn’t necessarily given a chance. Nichushkin skated a minute less on average than his rookie season and tallied nine goals and 20 points.
There were reports about Nichushkin leaving for Russia simply because he didn’t like the coaching staff’s lack of trust, but his agent denied those claims, according to The Athletic.
In his two seasons with CSKA Moscow, Nichushkin played in 86 games. He scored 27 goals and tallied 51 points along with a +36 on-ice rating. He played with a juggernaut offense, so he wasn’t the superstar scorer by any means. But he still managed to put up decent numbers.
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And that’s exactly how the Stars could use him next year. The 6-4, 205 lb. winger could be a valuable offseason addition (if you want to call him that) and provide Dallas with more depth.
If you followed the Dallas Stars this past season, you know that one of their biggest problems involved depth scoring. Besides the top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov, no other line seemed able to consistently contribute, especially down the stretch.
With Nichushkin, the Stars could check off a lot of boxes. They would get a big, powerful right winger who can carry the puck, set up scoring chances, and be physical. Putting him in a new system with Jim Montgomery that thrives on possession would be terrific for Nichushkin, who plays a possessive style. Not to mention Montgomery’s comfortability with younger skaters.
If Nichushkin comes back, he could very easily slot in on the third or fourth line as a right winger. Or, depending on where Jason Spezza plays, he could even skate on the second line after building solid chemistry with the center and left winger Mattias Janmark during the 2016 playoff run.
Bringing his skills to the table could complete many different line combinations for the Stars and provide them with what they need most: a deeper lineup. And he’s always got Alexander Radulov, a fellow Russian RW that spent a few seasons in the KHL, to use as a resource.
In his past two seasons away from North America, Nichushkin proved one thing: he can still be a viable threat. When he first broke into this league, Jaromir Jagr said that Nichushkin had the tools to be the best hockey player in the world. That estimate may be a bit overshot, but it doesn’t tarnish the potential that the Russian winger still carries.
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At the age of 23, Nichushkin’s NHL career is still very much beginning. If GM Jim Nill can lock him up on a new deal and get him back in the lineup, one thing is certain: the Dallas Stars will benefit from his presence.
Get the Nuke signed.