Here are the best Avalanche playoff lines – if the top line has trouble

With the top-six reportedly all healthy and ready to go come playoffs (barring any injuries in the weeks leading up to them), it’s safe to say the Avalanche should be primed to have a deep playoff run because of that. But this is 2020. Really, all bets are off when it comes to how things should go. Let’s take another look at the forward situation and do some armchair GMing. These are my Avalanche best playoff lines – assuming things change at some point.

The Depth Has Held Up

The Avalanche had a good run right before the stoppage, despite missing Mack, Landy, Mikko and Kadri much of the time, not to mention Grubauer going down against the Kings in the outdoor battle of the horrid uniforms. So, the depth did its job. But come playoff time, when the going gets fricken tough, it’ll be called upon yet again.

When you have a lethal top six such as the Avalanche, it is easy to get carried away thinking that they should carry the scoring and the bottom six should be the checking lines, doing the dirty crap. But it doesn’t always work like that. As good as the big line of Mack, Mikko and Landy are, they’ve shown at times that they are human. It doesn’t work ALL THE TIME. But we have a fallback now. New boys Burky and Kadri lead what is a valuable second line that scores at a high rate and Donskoi and Big Val can plug and play just about anywhere.

Line Combos: What Can Work?

If and when the big lines have some trouble, how can the top six be re-tooled?

Option One:

There has been one combination this season that has only seen 30 minutes together at even strength across eight games, but boy it’s been a ripper; that’s the trio of Val, Mack and Landy. They have dominated together. When on ice, they have an 80-percent expected goal percentage. In easier numbers, 2.43 goals per hour to just .61 against. Blending in your best defensive forward in Val with Nate and two-way beast Gabe may just be the best-blended line the Avs could throw out there.

Option Two:

Rantanen can drive the second line. He’s a star in this league. Spread the wealth, make things happen. Kadri is a capable playmaker and Burakovsky is one of the best opportunist snipers in the league. They’ve played just 16 minutes together as a trio, but with decent success. Kadri is a high-effort center who fights for every inch, a perfect foil for Rantanen, who can carve his way through ANY defense. In those two you get grit and finesse. With the spotlight on Rants and Naz on that line, Burakovsky can just coast around and find the soft spots, making the most of other’s efforts. Whilst this line isn’t as potent defensively, throw them out against some weaker competition. Make them push the pace and expose a defense. You can adjust the defensive pairings to cover them if need be, but this line can be incredibly potent given good deployment. The Avalanche best playoff lines, again, can only be termed that way when this guy is filling up the net on a reasonable basis.

Option Three:

Namestnikov showed he can be a skill player on the top line. He’s got great presence over 200-feet and has a sneaky scorer’s touch. Mackinnon can make any defense look bad and make just about any linemate look like an all-star. Namestnikov, Mack and Rantanen is a good line. Sure you’re basically replacing Landy with a defensive forward with scorers touch, but it allows a more balanced second line. Landy, Kadri and Nichushkin would be the ultimate two-way trio who can close you down but also ram it down your throat and score. This would also bump Burakovsky down, but again, having a scorer that deadly in you’re bottom-six would be a bad matchup for ANYONE. The Avalanche best playoff lines are better than your team’s best playoff lines, assuming all are healthy. Sorry, they just are.

Given The Moment, Can They Rise To It?

So, outside of the norm, who can be a hero if need be? Who can benefit from a healthy top-six and lift to a playoff setting? All this depth we’ve acquired MUST come to play. Battle for every puck, grind and find ways to win, if not, find ways to help deliver the club.

Let’s start with that kid again, Tyson Jost.

Can Tyson Deliver The Knockout Punch?

Former 10th overall pick Jost can and will be clutch. Book it. As I’ve stated before, he is a victim of a weaker draft class and perhaps expectations were too high, but the fact remains he is a highly talented forward who displays at times just why he was a first-round pick. At times I watch him and think “Dang, there it is. That’s what made him kick-ass as a 17-year-old” and sometimes I think “Man, I just want and need more.” Every one of us has thought that at one point.

I’m in Josty’s corner. I really am. High character kid, who is just waiting for it to click. Given he’ll be plugged into the bottom-six, he’s going to get some good looks against some bottom pairing guys. I want to see him be more aggressive, to have that stooooone cooooold killer instinct. He’s very much a confidence player, I feel. If he just goes 1000/kph from the get go, every shift, he’ll produce fruit. Come playoffs, I expect to see him come through. I want him to come through. And so don’t we all. This is another big chance for him to prove his worth to this team moving forward. The Avalanche best playoff lines can only be termed “best” if he does what I think he can do.

The Joonas Brother

The other guy I think who can flourish is Donskoi. A true professional who has playoff experience and can play just about anywhere in the lineup. He was bought here to be something of a safety blanket, a go-to-guy when all else fails or falls injured. I like his mojo with Mack and the fluidity in which he adapts to linemates. Donskoi is not a guy I’d be scared to throw out there with a minute left, whether it be chasing the game or defending it. The trust has been earned.

He’s a genuine goal-scoring threat when given the chance and Compher and Namestnikov under the leadership of Joonas could be the most potent bottom-six line come playoffs. Solid, reliable and talented. When was the last time that was said about the Avalanche depth?

Answer: the last time Dater went a day without barking about his back pain.