Nathan MacKinnon has added a line to his NHL resume.

Job experience: Honorary scout.

The Avalanche signed forward Jonathan Drouin in free agency from the Canadiens with some advice from their star player. MacKinnon and Drouin played two seasons of junior hockey with the Halifax Mooseheads prior to being picked No. 1 and No. 3 overall, respectively, in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Ten years later they’re once again teammates, in Colorado.

“When you watch them play in juniors together, obviously, the chemistry was there. Of course, we’re going to pick Nate’s brain. He knows him better than anyone. Not only as a player, but as a person and individual,” general manager Chris MacFarland said. “Nate was definitely an honorary member of the scouting department for a few days, that’s for sure.”

Drouin confirmed MacKinnon’s role in signing with the Avalanche.

“We definitely were texting quite a bit in the past couple of weeks. Obviously, I’ve known Nate for a while now,” Drouin said in a Monday teleconference call. “To get a text from him at this time in my career, it’s something I was looking forward to. Not only Nate, but everyone on the Colorado Avalanche. It’s such a great opportunity for me and they’re a great team.”

MacFarland said signing Drouin is a “low-risk, high-reward” situation. The Avs are only on the hook for a one-year, $825,000 contract, in exchange for a highly skilled player that could benefit from a change of scenery. Drouin posted a 50-point season in 2018-19 for the Canadiens. But his production dipped ever since with only 10 goals scored over the past three seasons.

“I think I needed a fresh start,” Drouin said. “Obviously, there were a lot of ups and downs in my six years in Montreal. I’m super excited to get a fresh start somewhere new. … I’m just hoping to help them in any way I can and try to find my game again. I know it’s there. It’s just a matter of confidence.”

MacFarland is bullish on Drouin’s top-line potential reuniting with MacKinnon.

“I believe, obviously, that Drouin’s skill set will definitely play well with our other skilled players,” MacFarland said. “So, I can easily envision him getting looks with Nathan, (Ryan) Johansen or whoever (coach Jared Bednar) wants to see in the top six. (Drouin) is going to have to earn that ice time to stay there. … His hands and his ability to make plays is certainly not in question.”

Drouin, 28, endured NHL free agency this summer for the first time in his career. Drouin is thankful for an old friend that made his decision clear.

“The process was pretty easy. Me and Nate were texting a lot,” Drouin said. “I definitely had Colorado on my radar a little bit and was hoping we could find a deal and do something there. I got very lucky.”