Derick Brassard would have liked a little warmup. After scoring a goal in his Avalanche debut Monday night — approximately 11 hours after shifting locker rooms at the Pepsi Center — the Avs’ new forward from the Florida Panthers revealed he hadn’t skated at the previous 3 days.

The Panthers didn’t have a morning skate Saturday prior to a day game against the visiting Los Angeles Kings — a match Brassard was scratched because of his likely trade — and Florida didn’t clinic Sunday after arriving in Denver.

Brassard, a free agent/attractive “leasing wanted at the Pepsi Center to prepare for his next match for another team or the Panthers’ game against the Avs when his trade didn’t unfold.

He got neither, and just “five seconds” after hopping on the ice for Monday’s morning skate he was pulled off and advised he was traded to the Avalanche. He expected to catch a flight but switched locker rooms and spent the afternoon. Brassard was traded from Pittsburgh to Florida on Feb. 1, before the Panthers played themselves from the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

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“It wasn’t great. I didn’t skate for three days before (Monday). So I was hoping I could go on the ice this morning and move a little bit around,” Brassard said after the Panthers’ 4-3 overtime victory over the Avs. “I simply tried to prepare myself to play a match tonight, trying to keep it simple. The first period, I had some butterflies out there. (But) the men made it really easy for me. They make me feel really comfortable. ”

Brassard said he woke up at 6 a.m. from his Denver hotel Monday and didn’t get in an afternoon nap because of the logistics surrounding his trade. He came to Denver for a hockey game but is currently looking for a place to live.

“I wanted to know where I was going. I haven’t been asleep this morning. It’s been plenty of stress involved in that, a long day,” Brassard said. “I’m looking forward to relaxing tonight. I truly enjoyed my first game (with the Avs). I wish we would have got the two points. We didn’t and a game play. (But) I think we could play a little bit better. ”

Footnotes. The Avalanche is scheduled to take Tuesday off before Wednesday’s morning skate at the Pepsi Center, where it hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night. … With the purpose Monday, the Avs have accumulated points . They’re 4-0-1 in its last five games and 5-1-1 over its last seven. … Colorado right winger Mikko Rantanen had a goal Monday to tie Nathan MacKinnon for the team lead in points (80). Rantanen is four points shy of his career high, set last season. He and MacKinnon are tied for fourth in the league in points.

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