The sample size is just two weeks of practice and one preseason game, but It appears the Avalanche’s patience with its young forwards will pay off.
Make no mistake, secondary scoring is the Avs’ No. 1 concern to begin this season, which is less than a week away. They can’t continue to make the playoffs with a one-dimensional offense led by Hart Trophy runnerup Nathan MacKinnon and wingers Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.
Unlike last season, they don’t want Carl Soderberg as the second-line center and Matt Nieto as the second-line left wing. Soderberg, if you remember, was an opening-night healthy scratch a year ago, before ultimately proving his was the team’s best option as the No.