NHL champion Colorado Avalanche signs 8-year deal with Valeri Nichushkin

• Nichushkin joins reigning champions Avalanche.
• He made an 8-year deal with the team.
• It is a $49 million deal as per reports.

On Monday, two days before becoming a free agent, Russian right-wing Valeri Nichushkin signed an eight-year NHL contract with the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.

The deal, reportedly worth $49 million, comes after Nichushkin, 27, established NHL career highs with 25 goals and 27 assists in 62 games and nine goals and six assists in 20 playoff games as the Avalanche won their first NHL championship since 2001.

So glad he's ours ✍️#GoAvsGo https://t.co/qYlLG9n3db

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 11, 2022

“Signing ‘Val’ to a long-term deal was a top priority for us this off-season,” Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic said. “Val is a big, strong, fast, tenacious winger who is relentless on the puck.

“He’s such an important player in our lineup and a huge reason why we won the Stanley Cup.”

Nichushkin has scored 71 goals and assisted on 103 others in 405 regular-season games since Dallas picked him with the tenth overall choice in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Multiple reports say Pittsburgh Penguins centre Evgeni Malkin will test free agency for the first time Wednesday.

Malkin has spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Penguins, helping them win Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017.

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In 981 career NHL games with the Penguins, Malkin has scored 444 goals and assisted on 702 others. He was selected second overall by the Penguins in the 2004 NHL Draft.

He was the NHL’s MVP in 2012 and the postseason MVP in 2009.

The Penguins inked Kris Letang to a six-year contract last week to prevent him from testing the free agent market.

The Ottawa Senators dealt goaltender Matt Murray and two future draught picks to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a significant trade on Monday.

The Leafs acquire Murray’s final two seasons on a four-year, $25 million contract.

Murray, 28, has a 5-12 record with two losses in overtime previous season.

Petr Mrazek was dealt to Chicago on Thursday, while Jack Campbell might go via free agency.

Murray was 132-78-22 with a 2.77 GAA in 246 NHL appearances before being moved to Ottawa.

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