The Colorado Avalanche have signed winger Valeri Nichushkin to a one-year deal worth a reported $850,000. In other words, they gave him the most obvious of show-me contracts.
And with good reason — Nichushkin is a recent buyout with the Dallas Stars. Dallas drafted the Russian in 2013 at the #10 position. They signed him right away to his three-year entry level contract.
Nichushkin had a decent rookie season. He recorded 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 79 games. Unfortunately, hip and groin issues impacted his second season. He had surgery to fix the problems, but ultimately played only eight games.