Next stop – Denver

Like the Oilers, the Avs can post good depth at the bottom end of the roster, too. They have a winger version of Nuge in Andre Burakovsky, who finished the regular season with 22-39-61 in 80 games and is 1-3-4 in 8 games so far in the playoffs.

Third line center is JT Compher, 18-15-33 and 2-2-4 in 10 playoff games so far. Rounding out line three is Nicholas Aube-Kubel, who was claimed on waivers earlier in the season from the Flyers and has since gone 11-11-22 in 67 regular season games. He’s produced goose eggs through 10 playoff games this year so far for the Avs. He’s been snakebit in the playoffs but previously put up 2-1-3 in the same 10 games with the Flyers earlier in his career, so he’s certainly capable of chipping in.

The fourth line starts with ex-Oiler from a long time ago Andrew Cogliano, who came over at the deadline from San Jose. He’s only put up a single assist in 18 regular season games but has a goal in seven games in the playoffs so far. At center is longtime Detroit Red Wing Darren Helm, who at 35 looks like he still has something left in the tank, going 7-8-15 in 68 regular season games and is already 1-1-2 in 10 playoff games.

I’m actually surprised that Ken Holland didn’t try to acquire him for the Oilers considering their history in Detroit together – maybe he already did and we just don’t know about it. Rounding out the fourth line is youngster Logan O’Connor, an undrafted player who was signed as a college free agent in 2018, and is now playing his first full season in the NHL, putting up 8-16-24 in 81 games along with a +10. He’s 1-1-2 in seven playoff games so far.

I’m going to call this a wash as well. That’s pretty good depth to round out the shooting gallery at the top of the roster.