GRAND RAPIDS - The Grand Rapids Griffins will be missing scoring punch for the postseason with the absence of Matt Lorito and Dominic Turgeon, not to mention Tyler Bertuzzi is just plain gone forever to the NHL after three incredible playoffs runs.

That seems significant because Lorito, lost to a knee injury, provided 23 goals and Turgeon, sidelined by a blood clot, added 14. And following three standout postseasons, Bertuzzi won't be around - even though he was eligible - after he won MVP honors in last year's title run.

All of which could make coach Todd Nelson worried for the start of the postseason Saturday at Manitoba.

But he's not.

"We still have guys who can score goals," he said and reeled off reasons, including Eric Tangradi, fourth in the league with 31 goals; Ben Street and his team-best 64 points; Matt Puempel, with 57 points in 62 games, and captain Matthew Ford with 22 goals, fourth most on the team.

Shake together the combination of those missing and the corps producing and it could make the perfect mix for a breakout postseason from Evgeny Svechnikov, a prospect who should be part of that group.

Entering the playoffs, the 21-year-old won't have the spotlight but has shown the talent; he didn't have the regular season expected but he will have a confident cast around him.

All of which makes a Bertuzzi-like postseason just waiting to happen.

"Now it's a new page, new week of training and I'm looking forward to it," Svechnikov said of the playoffs.

The Griffins are in Manitoba ahead of the 3 p.m. Saturday opener. Game 2 will be Sunday with the following three, as necessary, in Grand Rapids beginning Wednesday.

Svechnikov is flying under the radar after a regular season that produced seven goals and 23 points in 56 games, off his rookie totals of 20-31-51 in 74 games.

Still, the 2015 first-round pick was called up to the Detroit Red Wings, where he had two goals and four points in 14 games. He returned to Grand Rapids on April 4.

Since, he has played well with little to show for it (one point in five games) to raise hopes that he could be that surprise guy in the postseason.

"I think he's been fine, but I still think there's another gear for him to reach," Nelson said.

Svechnikov has been practicing on a line with Ford and center Axel Holmstrom. He's also expected to play heavily on the power play, Nelson said.

A year ago, Bertuzzi finished the regular season with points in one of his final four games. That came after he battled an ankle injury that cut short his time with the Red Wings as he had a decent 12 goals and 37 points in 48 regular-season games.

Once the playoffs rolled around, however, Bertuzzi took off with two goals and four points in three games in the opening-round series against Milwaukee. He became the Griffins' face of the postseason run as the Griffins topped Syracuse in six games to win the Calder Cup Trophy. Bertuzzi finished with nine goals and 19 points in 19 games.

Svechnikov played a significant role, too, in his first AHL postseason with five goals and 12 points. He also had four points in the opening-round series.

Now, with five games back with the Griffins, Svechnikov liked what he did in two games at Texas and San Antonio but not the regular-season finale at home against Cleveland.

"At Texas and San Antonio, I think those games went well and I did my best," he said. "But I wasn't happy with the way I played last game. That was not acceptable."

His scoring hasn't met expectations, but other parts of his game have. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Svechnikov is stronger, wins most of the puck battles in the corners and is gaining net-front presence.

"I think anyone who comes down from the National Hockey League has that inner confidence," Nelson said. "And it also gives him some hunger to know what he has to do to go up there in the future."

That's also known as grit, a major buzz word in the postseason because it makes stars out of players like Bertuzzi.

Maybe Svechnikov will be next.