Nikolai Kovalenko off to fast start, embracing “great opportunity” after Avalanche traded him to San Jose
SAN JOSE — Players who get traded from a contender to a rebuilding team often find themselves with a new, better opportunity, but Nikolai Kovalenko may have hit the jackpot. Kovalenko showed plenty of promise in his rookie NHL season, moving around the lineup to fill in where needed for an injury-ravaged club. But the…