By Ryan Womeldorf,The Hockey Writers
Copyright yardbarker
This pairing is going to eat a ton of minutes (24 minutes or more a night) and provide high-end play the entire time. Makar is like having an elite forward on the back end, giving the Avalanche a dynamic aspect that virtually no other team can replicate. That is the kind of advantage a true contender takes advantage of.
Second Pairing
The Avalanche’s second pairing is perhaps the most interesting. If it is capable of living up to its potential, it has the potential to provide physicality, puck-moving ability, and to eat nearly 20 minutes per night. But can the duo stay on the ice?
Samuel Girard is undersized (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) by NHL standards but can move the puck well. Injuries have been a normal part of his career, though he has played 73 games or more in two of the last three seasons. Though he may not produce more than 35 points a season on average, he can responsibly eat 20-plus minutes per night.
Playing next to him is Josh Manson. When healthy, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is exactly what the top four needs. He can still move well even at 33 years old and has a physical side to him that the rest of the group doesn’t have. That said, he’s dealt with major injury issues in two of the last three seasons, suiting up in 48 games in 2024-25. If he can remain on the ice regularly, Manson can be the tough, physical defender that a solid second pairing requires.
Third Pairing
The third pairing is quite interesting on paper. On one side, there is 27-year-old journeyman Sam Malinski. Malinski finally cracked an NHL lineup full-time for the first time in 2024-25, providing quietly solid play to the bottom pairing. He is what he is, and 15 minutes of sheltered ice time works well for him.
On the other side is 40-year-old veteran Brent Burns. After three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Burns is looking to make one last cup run in Colorado. He isn’t the Burns of even a handful of seasons ago, but still capable of chipping in at a high level.
This may be a perfect pairing on paper. Malinski can play sheltered minutes and focus on the basics, while Burns can provide steady veteran presence and perhaps hit double digits in goals again by playing third-pair matchups rather than facing tougher top-four battles. It also doesn’t hurt that the Avalanche are adding a proven commodity to the bottom pair.
A Potentially Elite Unit
The Avalanche need a little help in the form of Girard and Manson staying in the lineup, but this looks like a fantastic group on paper. Makar and Toews are the cream of the crop, the former more than likely challenging for another Norris Trophy and even the Hart Trophy as league MVP.
Burns and Malinski can be a solid third pairing, and the Manson-Girard combo could be the glue that holds it all together. If they can’t stay healthy, Burns can slide in for one of them to help bridge the gap and limit a potential drop-off.
