What to Expect from the Avs’ 4th Line

Casey Mittelstadt has been moved to the fourth line where he will be joined by Jere Innala and newly acquired Juuso Parssinen.

Innala made his NHL debut on Dec. 20 and has played the last three games, all wins for the Avs. The 26-year-old was signed as a free agent in the offseason and attended training camp but was sent to the Colorado Eagles to start the season.

“His camp was just okay, but he went down there and did some good things. He’s got a skill level and a quickness to his game, and an offensive-minded approach to his game,” head coach Jared Bednar said last week. “I’m hoping that he can help provide a little puck savvy for our bottom six.”

Innala played on the fourth line with Givani Smith and Ivan Ivan but that line has changed. Smith was sent to the Eagles and Ivan has been placed on the injured reserve list with an upper-body injury. s

Colorado traded for Parssinen on Saturday and he will debut with Innala and Mittelstadt on the fourth line against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

The 5-foot-9, 183-pound forward said he is excited to play with Parssinen, who he knows and has played with back in Finland.

“It’s nice. I know (Parssinen) earlier so it’s nice to get him here,” Innala said after Tuesday’s morning skate.

Innala has been scoreless in the three games he’s been in burgundy and blue, but pairing him with a familiar linemate and a highly-skilled center could be a huge boost to the fourth line.

Parssinen has not played well lately, but he showed potential in his rookie season with 25 points in 45 games. Bednar and the Avalanche organization hope to get him back to that level.

Mittelstadt has struggled the last month or so and was demoted to the fourth line from the second. He is looking to get back to his game and could do so on this line. He has a high hockey IQ and exceptional playmaking skills.

It may take a shift or two for the new line to get in a groove but if it sparks, the Avs could get some depth scoring — which they’ll need against the No. 1 team in the league.