The Colorado Avalanche are hoping a matchup with the New Jersey Devils can stop the slide.
They come in having dropped three of their last four, and the response to that stretch is going to include some lineup shuffling. Nic Roy is back, which pushes Nazem Kadri into his natural center spot in the 3C role and places Roy on the second line at right wing.
That move also sends Parker Kelly back to left wing and drops Fedor Svechkov to the 4C slot. For the first time this season, Kelly and Logan O’Connor will skate on the same line as opposites of each other. It also means Svechkov will make his first appearance at center on the fourth line, after previously handling the 3C job with Roy at 4C before the Avalanche shifted him down to open space for Kadri.
Even with the recent skid, Mackenzie Blackwood has been one of the bright spots. He’s 3-1-0 in his last four starts, and all four outings have been strong, including the loss to the Flyers.
Colorado also avoids running into Connor Hellebuyck tonight after the Devils’ newly acquired goaltender started last night against the Dallas Stars, stopping 16 of 17 shots. New Jersey controlled that game as a team as well.
Jake Allen is expected to get the start instead, and he’s coming off a 31-save performance against the Avalanche just over a week ago. Hellebuyck won’t be the backup tonight, so if Allen gets chased early, Remi Poirier would be the next option.
The Avalanche lines are set to look like this:
Artturi Lehkonen - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog - Brock Nelson - Nicolas Roy
Jaden Schwartz - Nazem Kadri - T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly - Fedor Svechkov - Logan O’Connor
Devon Toews - Cale Makar
Brett Kulak - Sam Malinski
Josh Manson - Brent Burns
In Other News...
Devils Cap Squeeze Could Cost Them A Respected Veteran
The Devils roster crunch has become one of the quietest but most important storylines around the team as the season moves along. After adding Connor Hellebuyck, New Jersey is sitting just under the salary cap and still has work to do to round out the lineup, which is why the club has already tried to carve out space by putting Stefan Noesen on waivers. Even then, only part of his salary could be buried, leaving the front office with very little room to maneuver.
Brenden Dillon has emerged as the next possible pressure point. The veteran defenseman carries a $4 million cap hit, and his limited no-trade list gives the Devils some flexibility if they decide a move is the cleanest way to open more space before the trade deadline. For a team that wants to stay competitive while keeping options open, the balance between keeping a respected veteran and creating room for upgrades may be one of the trickier calls ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Are Winning But One Lineup Flaw Still Looks Obvious
The Devils have started to pile up wins again, and the top of the lineup is doing its part. Over the last four games, New Jersey has leaned on its best forwards to drive the offense and keep the club moving in the right direction, a welcome sign for a team trying to stay in the thick of the Metropolitan Division race.
Jesper Boqvists name keeps coming up because the bottom six still looks like the obvious soft spot. The fourth line has struggled to provide much of anything, and there is a case for shifting Boqvist down there with Amadeus Lombardi and Cody Glass to give that group a little more purpose and balance. If the Devils are going to keep winning at this pace, getting more out of those minutes feels like the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Quinn Hughes Buzz Puts The Devils In A Dangerous Sweet Spot
Ryan Whitney lit up the rumor mill on a podcast by saying he believes Quinn Hughes will be playing for the Devils next season, and it is the kind of speculation that instantly gets attention in New Jersey. Hughes is in the final year of his contract with Minnesota, and while he has said he is focused on the Wild for now, he also left the door open to future changes. For a Devils team always thinking about the next big swing, that alone is enough to keep the conversation going.
The challenge is obvious: the Devils have some salary cap space to work with for the 2027-28 season, but adding a player of Hughes' caliber would not be as simple as just creating room. It would take real roster maneuvering to make any potential fit work, and that is where the intrigue lives for New Jersey. For a club trying to stay competitive while also chasing a franchise-altering upgrade, this is the kind of possibility that can linger in the background long before anything concrete ever happens. [Read more 🡒]