The Colorado Avalanche could have the NHL’s most dangerous lineup. The return of penalty killer extraordinaire Logan O’Connor has provided the sort of boost teams get from trade deadline acquisitions.
O’Connor’s return prompted some lineup shuffling on Tuesday night against the Penguins. And sure enough, Nazem Kadri returned to play center. Kadri slotted behind Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson on the third line.
That line hardly looked out of place.
Parker Kelly joined the fray on that line and looked fantastic. Kelly scored his 16th of the year, while O’Connor and Kadri got assists. But beyond getting on the scoresheet, the line’s overall performance has to be one of the most encouraging aspects moving forward.
That’s why, pound-for-pound, it will be tough for any other NHL club to match the Avalanche’s third line. But there could be even more lineup changes coming soon.
Lehkonen, Roy's return could lead to more lineup shuffling
The return of Artturi Lehkonen to the Avalanche’s lineup could lead to further shuffling. Now, Lehkonen has been out since sustaining an upper-body injury in an early-March game against the Anaheim Ducks.
There is no timeline for Lekhonen’s return. But you have to think that if the Avalanche remain long enough in the playoffs, Lehkonen could return to the lineup.
When Lehkonen returns, he’ll get a shot in the top six. That could mean that Ross Colton, who’s currently skating on the second line with Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin, will drop down, likely to the third line.
But that might not be the only complication. Nic Roy should be back before the end of the regular season, at least that’s the hope. Roy was initially slotted to be the 3C, but that was before the Avs landed Kadri.
So, where does Roy fit into a fully healthy Avalanche lineup?
A thought would be to slot Roy with Kadri and O’Connor on the third line. Such a line would be even better than the current Kadri-Kelly-O’Connor crew.
What makes this lineup shuffling even scarier is the prospect of a Colton-Jack Drury-Joel Kiviranta FOURTH line.
All of a sudden, Jared Bednar can consistently roll out four lines and not really worry about skipping a beat.
The thought of such a bottom-six heading into Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs is something that should keep opposing coaches heading for their stress tabs. And it’s a prospect that makes the Avalanche the clear favorites on paper. The only thing they’ll have to do is demonstrate it on the ice.