When the market shifts, so do the conversations around it.

For the Colorado Avalanche, the ripple effects of the Brady Tkachuk deal to the Florida Panthers on Sunday are impossible to ignore. Ottawa landed a haul headlined by the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, along with a conditional first-round selection in 2029 and a second-round pick in 2027. The No. 25 pick, notably, was flipped earlier in the day by Florida in a separate move involving Seattle and forward Mackie Samoskevich.

And when a package like that moves for a player of Tkachuk’s caliber, it naturally resets the conversation around what elite, high-impact forwards are worth across the league.

For the Avalanche, that inevitably circles back to Valeri Nichushkin.

In recent days, The Hockey News has explored the idea of whether Colorado should even consider moving him—ultimately leaning toward the idea that the organization would be better served evaluating him for at least another half-season before making any long-term decision. But trades like this reopen the door to more aggressive thinking.

What would it look like if Colorado explored a package built around Nichushkin—and potentially cash considerations—for the No. 9 pick Even if that’s ambitious, a pivot toward something closer to No. 25 might be more realistic depending on how the market evolves. Either way, the Avalanche are in a position where adding draft capital has value after years of dealing picks away in win-now moves.