• There are several interesting storylines to follow out of the Avalanche rookie tournament in Las Vegas. Forward Oskar Olausson has the biggest upside (more on him later), plus a handful of mature prospects have a chance to crack the NHL roster. A few will inevitably fill in for injured Avalanche players this upcoming season.

• It makes sense that defenseman Sam Malinski is the rookie team captain. On Friday night, in the tournament opener, he scored the game-winning goal to beat the Coyotes (3-2 in OT). The 25-yearold is an early candidate to replace ice time lost with Erik Johnson’s departure to Buffalo. Malinski looks like a man amongst (mostly) boys in Las Vegas.

• Avs forward Jason Polin provided the best highlights of the rookie tournament thus far. He threw down multiple big hits in Friday’s game, including a textbook reverse check while moving the puck in transition. Polin signed a 1-year Avs contract in March as a college free agent (Western Michigan).