One of the Colorado Avalanche’s strengths when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022 was their depth through the middle.<\/p>\n
Starting this season with Brock Nelson<\/a> as the No. 2 center behind Nathan MacKinnon<\/a> gives them their best center depth entering training camp since that championship team.<\/p>\n The Avalanche acquired Nelson in a trade with the New York Islanders on March 6, and then Nelson signed a three-year contract with Colorado on June 4 rather than go into free agency.<\/p>\n Nelson had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 19 regular-season games after the trade, then had four assists in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games.<\/p>\n After years of searching for the right fit following Nazem Kadri<\/a>‘s departure after the championship season, general manager Chris MacFarland believes Nelson is the right player.<\/p>\n “I thought he did everything that he could and played well,” MacFarland said in July. “He’s a smart defensive centerman. He’s long. He’s lengthy. I think we’re going to use him a bit more in the special-teams role now that he’ll have a full training camp and things like that behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Brock is a proven player at this level. He takes good care of himself, and he fit in. And I think at the end of the day, he saw that. He saw a good group and he wanted to continue to be a part of it.”<\/p>\n The Avalanche also will have a full season with center Jack Drury<\/a>, who was acquired with forward Martin Necas<\/a> in the trade that sent forward Mikko Rantanen<\/a> to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24.<\/p>\n “I think Jack Drury is an elite fourth-line center, but he can play a bigger role for us,” MacFarland said. “He’s got under-the-radar type skill.”<\/p>\n Another potential option for center depth is Gavin Brindley<\/a>, a 20-year-old acquired in the trade that sent forwards Charlie Coyle<\/a> and Miles Wood<\/a> to the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 27.<\/p>\n Brindley played one NHL game in 2023-24 and spent last season with Cleveland of the American Hockey League, where he had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 52 games. But with forward Logan O’Connor<\/a> expected to need 5-6 months to recover from hip surgery in June, Brindley will have a chance for more NHL games this season.<\/p>\n “He’s on that cusp,” Avalanche director of player personnel Brian Willsie said. “From personal experience, I struggled mightily my 20-year-old year in the American Hockey League, just the size and the strength of all the players you’re going against. It was a good experience for him.<\/p>\n \u201cNow he’s looking to take that next step.”<\/p>\n