by Blain Potvin, Staff Writer, All Habs Magazine
HALIFAX, NS – Valeri Nichushkin is a winger with size (6-foot-4-inches, 208 pounds) and skill. He’s a left-handed shot who loves playing his off-wing, making his hard, accurate shot even more deadly. His main asset is his skating able to make plays at top speed and drive to the net.
Nichushkin is known as a player who goes into the dirty areas and succeeds. These are all assets on which Marc Bergevin places a high value. And it has been reported that he is available.
#Stars Val Nichushkin reportedly on trading block. Would be hard for some GMs to straight up say nyet on acquiring him.
— Bill Whitehead (@BillWhiteheadFL) February 23, 2016
Nichushkin’s downside has been his lack of consistency at the NHL level. He has shown flashes of the brilliance that enticed the Dallas Stars to draft him tenth overall in 2013, but has had a difficult time to consistently show that brilliance. Dallas coach Lindy Ruff has been reluctant to take ice-time away from veterans like Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky and Cody Eakin who are far more consistent and defensively reliable than the 21-year-old Nichushkin.
This lack of top-6 ice time has given Nichushkin doubts about his role in Dallas as he is scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1st. With players such as Brett Richie, Radek Faksa and Jason Dickinson in the pipeline, it could be a good time for general manager Jim Nill to use him as a trade asset.
So could a young Nichushkin perform better in Montreal and what impact would he have on Les Canadiens? Nichushkin would bring his raw talent, size and speed to a team desperate to add those aspects to their top six. And because of the lack of top six depth in Montreal, he would be afforded more opportunities to display that talent with more even strength and power play ice time. Off the ice, the language barrier is less of an issue with the strong Russian contingent in the dressing room and a city with a European flavor would ease the adjustment.
What would it take to get him out of Dallas? As mentioned, the Stars are rich with offensive talent. They are also the highest scoring team in the NHL, yet their defense has allowed the 10th most goals so far this season and finished 25th last season. They are in need of a veteran mobile, physical top four defenseman who can play either side and compliment the puck-moving defensemen such as John Klingberg, Alex Goligoski and the up-and-coming Julius Honka.
Alexei Emelin fits this scenario, and his NTC lifts this summer allowing Marc Bergevin to move him at will. However, Emelin alone would likely not be enough to entice Nill into moving Nishushkin. This is where Bergevin will need to be willing to move some youth as well.
Adding Charles Hudon would provide Dallas with a playmaking winger who is not far from being NHL-ready. Nill would upgrade his blueline and receive a player who fills a need for creativity and speed on the wing, which is not found in Dallas’ prospect pool. In return, Bergevin would instantly upgrade the second line right-wing position.