After a concerning start to the season, Matt Duchene has rebounded in a big way, and the rest of the league is noticing.

Through the Avalanche’s first 11 games, Duchene had a total of just three points (!) and a plus/minus of -9. In comparison, Duchene’s last six games, he’s had three points in a single game twice (11 total) and has a plus/minus of +6.

More importantly, though, the Avs have gone 4-2 in that stretch, a much better mark than the 3-7-1 they started at, and it’s in large thanks to the more aggressive play of Duchene. Through October, Duchene was averaging under two shots a game, but has since averaged nearly four shots per game in the month of November.

Part of the issue with the Avs through the first part of the season was that they simply weren’t being aggressive enough. As head coach Patrick Roy stated many times, it was as if his team was trying to be “too perfect,” always looking for the best shot. In the last few weeks, the Avs have just been getting shots on net, and it’s working.

The Avs’ resurgence is also good news for Duchene’s chances of staying in Colorado long term.

During the team’s slow start, rumors started to surface that the Avs were looking to unload Duchene before they (a) had to pay him or (b) his trade stock fell any further. It got to the point that even Duchene wasn’t sure how long he’d be in Colorado.

“It’s part of hockey. I’m not thinking about it too much,” Duchene said, via the Denver Post. “I’m an Av today, and I want to be an Av as long as possible. At the same time, it’s a business, and I understand that part of it. That’s my standpoint. I’m just focusing on my game.”

But if Duchene can keep playing like this, and if the Avs can keep blowing out teams like Montreal, then nobody should be worrying about whether No. 9 will be wearing something other than the burgundy and blue for the foreseeable future.