MOSCOW, Jul 12 President of Hockey Operations, Colorado NHL Club Avalanche Joe Sakic said that the main priority of the team in the off-season was the signing of a long-term contract with the Russian Valery Nichushkin. On Tuesday night, the club announced an eight-year contract extension with the Russian striker. According to journalist Elliott Friedman, the Russian's salary will be $6.125 million a year. «Signing a long-term contract with Nichushkin was a top priority for us this off-season, as he would be one of the most sought-after forwards on the market. Valery is big, strong, fast, tenacious winger with ruthless puck control.He plays well on power plays, is good at killing time.He is good in any situation needed.He can play on the first line with our best guys, he can be moved up and down the lineup.He works hard off the floor. «, in the gym, and is also a humble person and a great teammate. Nichushkin is a very important player in our squad. He is the reason why we won the Stanley Cup,» said Sakic. won the Stanley Cup by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 in the series final. During the playoffs, the Russian scored 15 points (9 goals and 6 assists) in 20 games. In the regular season, which became the most productive for the Russian in his NHL career, he played 62 games in which he scored 52 points (25 goals + 27 assists).
