He Won’t Grow Old on Bench

Scott Young, acquired this week in a trade with Colorado, has a simple explanation for his lack of production last season with the Avalanche: reduced playing time.

“I wasn’t prepared to be in that role,” said Young, who had 21 goals and 60 points in Colorado’s Stanley Cup-winning 1995-96 season but only 18 goals and 37 points last season.

“Maybe there’s a point where you’re willing to accept a lesser role, but it’s not right now for me,” Young said. “I talked briefly to [Coach] Pierre Page and he said I would be counted on here to play a bigger role than in Colorado.”

The Avalanche tried to accommodate Young by trading him during the off-season, but nothing clicked until talks began with the Ducks about three weeks ago.

“I knew there was a lot of talk for the past few weeks with Anaheim,” Young said, whose $1,050,000 salary will be picked up by the Ducks. “I was hoping it would work out. I’m glad it has. I was getting nervous that talks had broken off.”

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Defenseman Bobby Dollas, one of three remaining original Ducks, makes his exhibition debut tonight against the Edmonton Oilers at 7:30 at the Pond.

“They just told me, ‘We know what you can do, but we want to take a look a some of the young guys,’ ” Dollas said.