How Roy fits into the Avalanche lineup

The Colorado Avalanche will need to figure out how newcomer Nic Roy fits into their lineup in order to maximize his value.

Jan 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicolas Roy (55) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images | Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesThe Colorado Avalanche landed the bottom-six center they had been looking for in Nic Roy. While the price for Roy was steep, there’s no question he’s an instant upgrade on the team’s bottom-six core.

That said, the question will be where Roy plays. The easy answer is that he draws into the third-line center role. Inserting Roy…