Golden Knights Visit Avalanche with Key Lineup Changes

There’s a specific kind of quiet tension before an 8 p.m. ET matchup, especially when lineups hint at what’s really being prioritized. The Golden Knights head to the Avalanche with both teams juggling scratches and injuries, and the projected Golden Knights roster will set the tone for how they defend and generate offense.

Golden Knights (36-26-17) at Avalanche (52-16-10) begins at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The Golden Knights projected lineup features Ivan Barbashev with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, followed by Brett Howden with Mitch Marner and Pavel Dorofeyev. Brandon Saad pairs with Tomas Hertl and Colton Sissons, while Cole Smith centers with Nic Dowd and Keegan Kolesar. Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore are paired on defense, as are Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson and Jeremy Lauzon with Ben Hutton. Adin Hill and Carter Hart are listed as the goaltenders. Akira Schmid, Kaedan Korczak, and Reilly Smith are scratched, while Alexander Holtz (upper body) and William Karlsson (lower body) are injured.

For the Avalanche, the projected lineup calls Artturi Lehkonen between Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. Gabriel Landeskog works with Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin, and Ross Colton lines up with Nicolas Roy and Joel Kiviranta. Parker Kelly plays alongside Jack Drury and Logan O’Connor. On defense, Devon Toews and Sam Malinski are listed together, with Brett Kulak and Josh Manson, plus Nick Blankenburg and Brent Burns. Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood are the goaltenders. Zakhar Bardakov is scratched, and Cale Makar (upper body) and Nazem Kadri (finger) are injured.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Friday that he spoke with his players, his training staff, and his medical team about resting players throughout the final four games of the season. He added that if players want to play, he’s willing to let them, but he also wants to rest others before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Neither team held a morning skate.

Keeping the focus keyphrase close to the story, the Golden Knights are essentially entering this Golden Knights vs Avalanche clash with a lineup built for both puck pressure and matchup flexibility. With key absences and a coach signaling careful workload management across the season’s final stretch, the game’s most meaningful swings could come from which lines sustain pace after the opening period. A banged-up or partially rotated lineup often compresses practice chemistry into quicker in-game adjustments, so watch how quickly the power play and forecheck communicate in the early minutes.

This late-season tone matters even more because both teams carry strong season records: Golden Knights (36-26-17) and Avalanche (52-16-10). If Avalanche’s rotation aligns with Bednar’s stated plan, they may prioritize keeping certain players fresher than usual, even while the scoreboard still demands intensity. For the Golden Knights, the challenge is clear—convert limited offensive opportunities efficiently, because a rested opponent can be harder to break down over longer shifts.

As the puck drops in a key 8 p.m. ET showdown, the projected Golden Knights lineup remains the most immediate roadmap for how they’ll try to control the pace. Still, the absence of both teams at a morning skate suggests everyone is working from a controlled plan rather than improvising rhythm. With the focus on Golden Knights vs Avalanche preparation, the lineup picture underscores how teams are balancing immediate results against the sharper spotlight of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.