One of the more intriguing wrinkles in the Colorado Avalanche’s early setup is happening right at center, where the roles are starting to shift in a way that wasn’t exactly on the preseason bingo card.
The original expectation was pretty clear: Nic Roy would anchor the third line down the middle, while newcomer Fedor Svechkov would handle the fourth-line center job unless someone else forced his way in. Instead, the Avalanche are looking at a different arrangement, with Svechkov on the third line and Roy moving to the wing. Parker Kelly, meanwhile, has slid into the fourth-line center spot after last season’s breakout.
None of it is earth-shattering, but it does open up a real competition and a little roster uncertainty.
Jared Bednar has said Svechkov needs more runway to grow as a center, and that gives Colorado some flexibility. If Svechkov has trouble, Bednar can always pivot back to Roy and even shift Svechkov to the wing. But if Svechkov takes off, the Avalanche suddenly have a deep, loaded group through the middle.
That depth gets even more interesting because Nazem Kadri has moved to a wing spot on the second line. The 36-year-old could still handle second-line center duties if needed, but keeping two legitimate centers on the wings gives Colorado a lot of options, especially when injuries or in-game adjustments come into play.
Kelly’s situation is different, but no less important. Last season, he went from relative obscurity to a 20-goal scorer, turning in one of the league’s best feel-good stories. Now that production has raised expectations, and the Avalanche are responding by giving him more to do.
For Kelly, center brings a different kind of workload. As he told the media, and as Colorado Hockey Now quoted him: “Center is just different.
You got to get used to it again. I mean,” Kelly said.
“Being back at center, you want to be good on draws, you want to help the D. You’re coming into the play a little bit later instead of being F1, F2 on the forecheck.
As a wing, you’re normally slashing off the breakout, and you’re hunting the puck right away. Whereas as a centerman, you’re kind of working goal line to goal line.”
If Kelly handles the transition and Svechkov keeps growing, Colorado could end up with a fourth line featuring Kelly between Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux that makes life miserable for whoever is across from it.
And while the early shuffle matters now, Bednar is clearly thinking bigger picture. Not just the next stretch of games, but the kind of lineup he wants ready when the puck drops in the first round of the 2027 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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