Do the Colorado Avalanche Have the Best Center Depth in the NHL?

The Colorado Avalanche are loaded with talent, and down the middle, there's no team in the National Hockey League that can matchup with them.

Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Avalanche came so close to getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2026, but when they needed to step up and play their best hockey, they were outplayed by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Heading into 2026/27, the team is once again shaping up as Stanley Cup contenders, and while the improvements this summer aren't clear yet, when the regular season begins, this team should be just as good as it was a year ago.

With arguably the NHL's best goaltending tandem and the league's best defenseman in Cale Makar, the Avs are perfectly built up and down their roster, but to take the next step, their center group needs to lead the way. Recently, the Avalanche were ranked as having the second-best top-six center duo in the NHL with Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson, but overall, this has the makings of the best center group in the NHL.

Nathan MacKinnon Leads a Star Studded Center Group

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates with the puck / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Obviously, leading the way is arguably the best player in the NHL, Nathan MacKinnon, who has once again been at his best in 2025/26, posting 53 goals and 127 points in 80 games, and even at 30-years-old, the former Hart Trophy winner is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. With four straight seasons over 110 points, the team knows they can rely on him to drive the offense no matter what's happening around him, and if the team is to take that final step to their second Stanley Cup under MacKinnon, he'll need to play at his MVP best.

Then, there's Brock Nelson, whom the team valued immensely at the 2025 trade deadline, surrendering several assets, including top prospect Calum Ritchie and a first-round pick, for the veteran. In his first full season, he collected the second-most goals and points in his career with 33 and 65 across 81 games.

This gives the Avalanche a dominant 1-2 punch, and given Gabriel Landeskog, Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen around them in the top six, this is the most well-rounded group in the entire league.

2026 saw the Colorado Avalanche add Several Veterans

View of a Colorado Avalanche logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Beyond No. 29 and 11 however, the team reloaded in 2026, adding both Nazem Kadri (13 games, 3 goals 9 points in the post-season) and Nicolas Roy (3 goals, 6 points in 13 playoff games) at the trade deadline, and now, the team will have a decision to make on their top three centers, with one of these two likely to play on the wing in the top-six.

Right now, that appears to be Kadri, who will likely start the year alongside Nelson and Landeskog on the second line, but if injuries pop up, they now have the depth and versatility with two proven Stanley Cup wingers that can play anywhere in the top-six or at the 3C position.

Nashville Predators center Fedor Svechkov (40) reaches for the puck / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On the fourth line, the team added Fedor Svechkov in a trade with Nashville, and with both Gavin Brindley and Parker Kelly options for the 4C role as well, but given the scoring that the top three lines provide, this is a limited role that the team can fill with several options throughout both the NHL roster and minor league roster.

Some contending teams are still trying to find an impact second-line center. But in Colorado, there are four players capable of playing anywhere in the lineup down the middle, and no matter who is playing on the fourth line, there's scoring ability, faceoff dominance, playmaking and physicality up and down the center group in the NHL.

Outside of Colorado, the Edmonton Oilers (McDavid, Draisaitl, Dickinson), Florida Panthers (Barkov, Bennett, Lundell), Vegas Golden Knights (Eichel, Karlsson, Hertl) and Dallas Stars (Johnston, Hintz, Duchene) all have a compelling case; simply put, the Avalanche have the experience, the star power and the versatility that beats any of them.

With this group, there are simply no excuses for the Stanley Cup Finals in 2027. If all of their positional groups play to their potential, it could be another dominant regular season campaign for the Avalanche.