NASHVILLE — Points aren’t everything, but when you’re making $7.5 million per hockey season, it’s almost everything.

Brock Nelson had just four points through the first 16 games for the Avalanche. Although coach Jared Bednar was happy with the forward’s play, the production wasn’t there and as the second-line center behind Nathan MacKinnon, there needs to be more production.

Things have started to flip in Nelson’s way, as he was on a four-game point streak entering Saturday’s game against the Predators. He racked up six points in that stretch. He wasn’t sweating the lack of scoring, but it feels a heck of a lot better to put your name on the scoresheet more often.

“For sure (it does),” Nelson told The Denver Gazette after morning skate in Nashville. “I try to pride myself on playing both sides, (be) reliable defensively, be a difference maker in a number of different ways and offensively is one of those. So (it was) nice to get rewarded and be a difference maker.”

Linemates have changed often for Nelson this season. He started the year with Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin flanking him, but due to injuries and coaching adjustments, he’s spent the last week or so playing with Ross Colton and Gavin Brindley.

The latter is now out due to injury, so he’ll have yet another new linemate when the Avalanche take on the Predators Saturday, but the Colton-Nelson combination has worked well together so far. When those two are on the ice together, the Avalanche have an expected goals percentage of nearly 65%.

That’s why Nelson feels like the production was bound to come eventually.

“Even when we weren’t scoring, I think we had games where, as a line, we controlled the play and generated a number of chances and out-chanced the other guys,” Nelson said. “Just a matter of getting a couple to go in and just kind of roll with it. I don’t think the mindset or the game has changed at all, it’s just a matter of going out there and sticking with it.”

After being acquired before the trade deadline last season, Nelson put up 13 points in 19 regular-season games with the Avalanche. Through 20 games this year, he has 11 points. That’s a slight decrease in production, but his coach believes everything else has been significantly better.

“More settled. Better defensively, for sure,” Bednar said. “He’s always been a responsible player, but (he’s) dialed in on the defensive side of it, and not without some fluctuation in his linemates. I just feel like he continues to play the way he has to and continues to play to his identity. You see the production starting to come, especially on this home stand, and hopefully that can continue a little bit.

“(I) liked his game last year. I think it’s better this year.”

Nelson agrees.

“I think it’s better, for sure,” he said. “I think last year, just crazy in season trying to adapt on the fly was a little bit different. This, compared to what I was used to before, is different, but I think comfort level is higher than last year.”

And now it feels like it’s all starting to come together, which the Avalanche will need in their pursuit of another Stanley Cup.