Hockey

Valeri Nichushkin has arrived in Denver and will be able to skate solo
Emily Smith
Valeri Nichushkin has arrived in Denver and will be able to skate solo
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot

Today, two players who have been the talk of the town (not at all for the same reasons) are inching closer to a return to action.

First, on the Colorado Avalanche side, Russian Valeri Nichushkin arrived in Denver, having been suspended without pay since May.

As for the Vancouver Canucks, a long-awaited player has stepped forward for a return to action. Dakota Joshua, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer, was skating this morning in a non-contact uniform.

Valeri Nichushkin can train and skate solo in Denver

If there's one name that gets people talking, mostly about the wrong things, it's Valeri Nichushkin.

The Russian was placed on the assistance program, once again, last May, more precisely, in stage 3 of the program.

He was suspended for six months without pay.

His return is imminent, as November will mark six months since his suspension.

Nichushkin recently arrived in Denver and will be able to train and skate on his own, as he is still on the assistance program.

And even after he's served his six-month suspension, he'll still have to apply and be approved by the league.

Let's just say it's his last chance.

If he doesn't get his act together, this could be it.

If he were to return to the assistance program, he would enter the fourth and final stage of the assistance program: a one-year suspension with no guarantee of returning to the NHL.

That would be a shame for the Russian, who is bursting with talent and can definitely help the Avalanche in this poor start to the season.

It would also be a shame for the Avalanche, who would love to count on his services.

Below, you'll see the major difference in Jared Bednar's team's success with Nichushkin in the lineup.

Without the Russian in the lineup, Colorado has a 40-37-5 record, an exact total of 82 games.

That's an 85-point season, whereas when the Russian is playing, the Avalanche have a record equivalent to a 122-point season.

Incredible.

Dakota Joshua (cancer) back in training

Although not the most recognizable name, Dakota Joshua provided excellent service to the Vancouver Canucks last year as a high-level support player.

He collected 32 points, including 18 goals, in 63 games alone, and added 8 points in 13 playoff games.

All this while playing an average of just 14 minutes per game during the season.

The 6'3″, 200-lb. big man also delivered 244 checks during the regular season.

The man who announced last month that he was recovering from testicular cancer took a good step forward today.

He joined his teammates this morning for morning practice.

We still don't know how long Joshua will be sidelined, but seeing him on skates gives the organization confidence.

It could be only two or three weeks before we see him back in a Canucks game.

The Canucks haven't had the best start to the season (1-1-2), but adding a player like Joshua to the line-up can only help.


Overtime

– A first goal for Jake Guentzel with his new team.

– Beautiful moment.

– Immediately recalled from the American League, the Austrian blackened the score sheet.

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