SUNRISE, Fla. — First-year Avalanche forward Nail Yakupov, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft, was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game Saturday against the Florida Panthers.
“I like what some other guys are doing better,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after an optional morning skate at BB&T Center.
Yakupov, 24, signed a modest one-year, $875,000 contract with Colorado on July 4. He scored seven goals in his first 20 games but went pointless in his last six. He only has three assists and a team-low three blocked shots.