Keys to the Stanley Cup: Colorado Avalanche climb to the peak Part 3

It's time for Part 3 of my Keys to the Stanley Cup season preview for the Colorado Avalanche. Check the links below for Parts 1 and 2. This time, I'm looking at the bottom of the forward lineup and what they have to do this season to give the Avalanche the best shot at hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2026.

Great forward depth is one of those things that wins championships. Trade deadline deals are when you hear that most, but having a solid foundation to start with is important. The Avalanche currently have a hole in the lineup with Logan O'Connor's injury, but he's set to return sometime in November. I've included him because he's a mainstay in the lineup when he returns. I'll also give a key for the team to address the open roster spot.

Jack Drury

Drury's Key: Lockdown the third-line center job

In part two, I mentioned that Valeri Nichushkin having his best season might be the most important thing for the entire club. Second to that, is Jack Drury locking up the 3C position. The team wouldn't have to mortgage off more assets for an expensive depth piece. A cheaper fourth line guy or defenseman to complement Keaton Middleton would be better use of their cap space.

If we slot Drury in at 3C right now, his wingers would likely be Ross Colton and Victor Olofsson. Drury is an excellent passer and strong defensively. Colton and Olofsson are both scorers, with Colton being that pesky, hard-working forward and Olofsson having an elite shot. I'd say to fully lock down the 3C spot, he'd need 40+ points and continue to be an elite bottom-six faceoff and penalty killing threat.

Parker Kelly

Kelly's Key: Get to 20 points

I think Parker Kelly earned the extension he signed this offseason. He led the team in hits. He blocks shots. The chemistry he had with O'Connor and Drury on the fourth line is so good that it almost makes me not want to move Drury up in the lineup. Going in to last year, I thought the Avs were going to miss Andrew Cogliano immensely on the penalty kill. But no, Kelly crushed it. He and O'Connor are one of the best penalty-killing forward pairs in the league.

Kelly only had 19 points last year. He also lined up at center for a good chunk of the year, where he's not a natural fit. If the Avalanche can find another player to man the 3C/4C spot and Kelly can stick to the wing all season, then I think he could break that 20-point mark. But really, all I want him to do is be Logan O'Connor's running mate again this year.

Logan O'Connor

O'Connor's Key: Recapture the level he played at in 2023-24

Logan O'Connor had 21 points in 80 games last year. Three seasons ago, he had his career-high 26 points in 82 games. However, in the 23-24 season, LOC had 25 points - in 57 games. That was the year we were treated to the Roaring '20s line with Colton and Miles Wood. O'Connor is the anchor for the bottom six, as he has shown great chemistry with Colton, Kelly, Drury, and Joel Kiviranta.

The 82 game point projection on his 23-24 season would have him at 35 points. Jared Bednar would love a 30+ point year out of LOC. I think the team would even be happy with 20 point season if he continues to contribute in all the other ways he does. Just as with Kelly, he does everything you want your depth guys to do. Personally, I want him to get back on the shorthanded goal sheet. He had at least one in the three seasons prior to last year.

Ross Colton

Colton's Key: 20 goals and/or 40+ points

Ross Colton's best season came with the Avalanche in 23-24 with 17 goals and 40 points. However his career-best in goals came on a 22-goal campaign in Tampa Bay. As I said above with Drury, I think a line with these two and Olofsson could be a high-end third line. It's even possible that Colton mans the 3C spot with Olofsson and O'Connor on the wings. Olofsson is an upgrade over Miles Wood. Both of these lines could be highly effective.

No matter what, the Avalanche need more scoring out of the third line. Colton is supposed to be that kind of third-line guy. I think he should be hitting 40 year after year, but he's been plagued by injuries, either his or the team’s. What I really want to see out of Colton this year is consistency.

Victor Olofsson

Olofsson's Key: Prove It

The signing of Victor Olofsson feels like one of those "prove-it" deals. The Avalanche front office gives these contracts out often. The ones where the player has had a down year/career and the team decides to give them that shot. Valeri Nichushkin was one of those guys. Nail Yakupov was another. Some work and some don't. However, Olofsson isn't really coming off of a down year.

Olofsson's career path has been... different. He slotted as a middle-six offensive winger in Buffalo for the first few seasons of his career. Though, in his final season there, he had only 15 points. Last season, he moved to Vegas, where he had 29 points. He also improved significantly on the defensive side of things. This "prove-it" deal is more about building on what he did last season. If he could put his scoring numbers from Buffalo with his defensive growth from Vegas together, that'd be the dream.

Joel Kiviranta

Kiviranta's Key: Keep it steady

Joel Kiviranta is another one of those guys who got the "prove-it" deal and capitalized. And just like the other bottom-six guys that returned this season, I really don't have much more to ask of him. No he's probably not scoring 16 goals this year. I'll take 10. I'll take 15 points. I just want Kiviranta to stay in the lineup. He's become a reliable guy in the lineup and Bednar trusts him. He keeps the game simple, does his job, and doesn't make mistakes often. He just needs to keep doing that.

A number of players…

(Insert your choice)’s Key: Earn a spot, now and for the future

For right now, this spot is just a question mark until O'Connor returns, but it's possible that whoever gets this job could push Kiviranta for the 12th forward spot if the whole roster is healthy. Barring a trade for a bonafide 3C or 4C, this job is likely to be filled by one of the young guys. Both Ivan Ivan and Nikita Prishchepov have solid cases to land the spot. Matt Stienburg could provide the lineup with some physical, gritty play. I think Tye Felhaber is an outside shot, but who knows.

Outside of those guys, the team acquired Gavin Brindley, Danil Gushchin, and Alex Barre-Boulet this offseason. Then, some of our prospects that haven't seen NHL ice yet are in the mix with Chase Bradley, Cooper Gay, Zahkar Bardakov, and Taylor Makar. A lot of people are high on Bardakov, but how cool would it be to see Taylor Makar making his NHL debut alongside his brother Cale? I'd call that the first big moment to kick off the next 30 years of Colorado Avalanche hockey.