In a recent story for Sportsnet, David Morassutti highlighted 12 under-the-radar acquisitions who could surprise with their new clubs next season.

The list began with Mavrik Bourque, a young forward who is likely to have a bigger opportunity and more ice time with the Nashville Predators than he received in Dallas. But the list wasn’t limited to younger players.

One of the names included was Jaden Schwartz, Colorado’s most notable forward addition in unrestricted free agency. 

The 34-year-old winger spent the past five seasons with the Seattle Kraken, where offensive production wasn’t exactly plentiful among their forwards. That made Schwartz an interesting name to consider heading into his first season with the Avalanche.

Not necessarily because I doubt he can be productive. I think he can. And while age has probably caught up to him in some ways, I do think he has more to give than he did last season with the Kraken. 

The thought I’m more curious about is, where will Schwartz play? 

On one hand, Schwartz could simply slide into the second-line role previously occupied by Valeri Nichushkin. That would give Colorado a veteran winger with a history of producing offensively alongside Brock Nelson and Gabriel Landeskog.

But there are other options. 

The Avalanche could elevate either Nazem Kadri or Nic Roy into that second-line role, with Schwartz instead settling onto the third line alongside a veteran center and one of Colorado’s younger forwards.

Exactly where Schwartz fits could have a significant impact on his production.

So could his special-teams usage. Schwartz figures to be a regular on the penalty kill, giving him another avenue to increase his overall ice time and potentially his impact beyond the scoresheet. You have to wonder if he gets a look on the second power play unit. 

The role Schwartz plays — who he lines up with, how much ice time he receives and how often he gets opportunities on special teams — will all be important factors in determining whether he becomes the kind of under-the-radar success story Morassutti envisioned.

For an Avalanche team that added Schwartz on a three-year deal, finding the right role for him could go a long way toward making that signing pay off.