In a season full of superlatives, here’s another one: The Colorado Avalanche has passed the Valeri Nichushkin test.
Nichushkin will return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. In recent years, losing Nichushkin’s services has been a significant detriment for the Avs.
It was not an issue for this Avalanche team, which has been a juggernaut through the first 25 games of the season.
"Depth, (more) healthy around him," Avs coach Jared Bednar said. "We like the lines we have and the depth we have.