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    Team Canada, USA, Finland, Sweden, Czechia Lines; Avalanche Roles Revealed
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    Team Canada, USA, Finland, Sweden, Czechia Lines; Avalanche Roles Revealed

    As practices have begun to ramp up for the Milano Cortina Games, we’ve started to see the first set of line combinations for each nation. These are obviously not set in stone, but they also give us a glimpse of the roles the Avalanche’s eight Olympians will have.

    Team Canada

    Nathan MacKinnon is centering his own line. As in, he’s not being paired with Sidney Crosby, at least not to start. In the first set of lines we saw for Team Canada, MacKinnon was between wingers Brad Marchand and Nick Suzuki.

    Crosby and MacKinnon were paired together all throughout 4 Nations, alternating between center and wing. But this time around, Crosby is lined up at center, giving Canada a strong 1-2-3 punch down the middle.

    It’s also an easy shift if head coach Jon Cooper wants to reunite the Novia Scotian friends. Suzuki could make his way down to the 3C role in place of Crosby.

    As expected, Cale Makar and Devon Toews are Canada’s top pair and will likely play heavy minutes throughout the tournament.

    Team USA

    Brock Nelson is having a spectacular season in the second-line center role with the Avalanche this season. But with Jack Eichel, Auston Mattews, and Dylan Larkin also on the team, it was always expected that Nelson wouldn’t play anywhere near that role for Team USA.

    Nelson lined up on the fourth line at the Americans’ practice, flanked by wingers J.T. Millers and Jack Hughes. Vincent Trocheck also alternated in some shifts in that 4C role.

    Team Finland

    Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta were both named to Finland’s Olympic roster. Lehkonen was there for 4 Nations, but Kiviranta was somewhat of a surprise addition. Make no mistake about it, he’s going to bust his rear on any role he gets, if he plays, to help the Finns.

    Last year, Lehkonen played with Mikko Rantanen at 4 Nations, but that’s no longer the case. Rantanen was later traded to Dallas and developed chemistry with center Roope Hintz and his teammate at the time Mikael Granlund.

    That trio makes up Finland’s top line. Granlund is also serving as captain.

    As for Lehkonen, he’s on the second line with center Sebastian Aho and winger Teuvo Teravainen.

    Kiviranta was an extra forward, along with Oliver Kapanen.

    Team Sweden

    Gabe Landeskog also started on the fourth line. Having not played in more than a month, Landeskog was likely going to get a limited role when the games begin. I don’t imagine he’ll stay down there long, unless his chemistry with linemates Pontus Holmberg and either Alex Wennberg or Marcus Johansson becomes too good to break up.

    Landeskog was officially confirmed as Sweden’s captain on Sunday.

    Team Czechia

    The Czechs’ top line is exactly what we all expected all along. Martin Necas will join Tomas Hertl and David Pastrnak as the big three forwards, who will likely play a lot.

    Because of the unfortunate injury to Pavel Zacha, Czechia had to upgrade David Kampf to a second-line center role, and former Avs forward Lukas Sedlak to 3C.

    Kampf will center Ondrej Palat and Ondrej Kase on the second line. Like I said, expect Necas and his linemates to play a lot.

     


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