With the offseason entering the quieter stretch of the summer, it’s a good time to examine some of the different line combinations the Colorado Avalanche could open the season with.

Colorado has plenty of NHL-ready talent, even if some of its younger options are still developing. Depending on how training camp unfolds, head coach Jared Bednar has several viable directions he could take.

Over the next several days, I’ll break down a handful of different scenarios, starting with what is likely the safest and most straightforward option.

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Jaden Schwartz– Brock Nelson — Gabriel Landeskog
Gavin Brindley — Nazem Kadri — Nic Roy
Parker Kelly — Fedor Svechkov — Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Noah Juulsen

Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

This scenario is exactly what it sounds like. Every departed player is replaced by the next man up, while the rest of the lineup remains mostly untouched.

Jaden Schwartz slides into the spot vacated by Valeri Nichushkin, Gavin Brindley takes over Ross Colton’s role on the third line, and Fedor Svechkov inherits the fourth-line center position previously occupied by Jack Drury.

Bednar has never been afraid to make changes when needed, but he has also shown a preference for keeping successful combinations together, albeit that usually comes later in the season. This approach allows Colorado to maintain some continuity while giving younger players a chance to earn larger roles. Instead of forcing several new pieces into unfamiliar spots immediately, the Avalanche could let the season unfold and adjust as needed.

That doesn’t mean those jobs are guaranteed by any means.

Brindley may be the first option to replace Colton given his familiarity with the roster from a season ago, but Zachary L’Heureux, Fabian Lysell, T.J. Hughes, and perhaps another young forward will all have an opportunity to make their case in training camp. L’Heureux, specifically, seems like he could be the closest challenger. Likewise, Svechkov still has to prove he can handle the defensive responsibilities and faceoff workload that come with playing center in Bednar’s system, especially on the fourth line.

Schwartz might be the easiest fit of the three. While he won’t replicate everything Nichushkin brought to the lineup, he’s an experienced two-way winger who still forechecks well, kills penalties, and can complement skilled linemates. The question is less about whether he belongs in the top six and more about whether he can give Colorado enough speed and puck retrieval alongside Brock Nelson and Gabriel Landeskog. Let’s face it, it would be an older line.

The biggest advantage of this lineup is continuity. Although that might be the reason many won’t like it (in some ways, me included).

MacKinnon’s line remains untouched, the Nelson and Landeskog duo stays together, and Colorado avoids asking too many young players to immediately take on unfamiliar roles. It’s a more conservative approach.

Can Brindley lock down a top-nine role? He looked like an NHL player during the first two months of last season before cooling off later in the year. If that early production was a sign of things to come, Colorado may have already found Colton’s replacement.

Is Svechkov ready to center a line on a Cup contender? The defensive tools are intriguing, but playing center under Bednar requires reliability in all three zones and success in the faceoff circle. Those areas will likely determine how quickly he earns trust.

Is Schwartz the right stylistic fit? Replacing Nichushkin isn’t just about replacing points. Colorado also needs someone who can win battles, retrieve pucks, and keep up with two veteran linemates on a second line that isn’t getting any younger.

This was the conservative approach. Next, I’ll look at an option where, if Bednar wants to, can load up down the middle and fill in the empty spaces around that.