Colorado’s Nick Holden produced 10 regular-season goals last season, tying Montreal’s P.K. Subban and others for 18th among NHL defensemen. The comparison should end there, because Subban and others can’t compete with Holden’s relatively paltry, by NHL standards, $600,000 salary, or that he played in only 54 games.

Subban, who this season will make $9 million, played in all 82 games. The only defenseman in the league to score as many goals in fewer games as Holden a season ago was Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang, who will make $7.25 million this season.

Holden is one of the NHL’s premier bargains. But he and Avalanche coach Patrick Roy prefer that you don’t call him that.

“These are great stories. Honestly, these are great stories,” Roy said of Holden, undrafted and generally unwanted until cracking the Avs’ lineup last season. “I never look at the pay. I look at what the player brings to the team, and I’m very, very impressed with Nick. Last year he came into camp and he was supposed to be a (regular-season) call-up, and not only is he not a call-up, he’s probably going to be a top-four D for us.”

Holden, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, is again playing with dynamic playmaker Tyson Barrie on the second line, behind Erik Johnson and Brad Stuart. In regular-season and playoff goal scoring last season, Holden tied Barrie with a team-high 13 goals among defensemen, with three coming in the postseason.

Holden signed a three-year, $4.95 million extension midway through the season, at a $1.65 million annual salary cap hit.

“He’s clearly a bargain at what he’s at now, but even the extension he signed is going to be a bargain too,” Johnson said. “He’s part of our core D and he scored 10 goals last year, which is like scoring 20 for a forward.”

Holden, 27, doesn’t want to jinx his unofficial rookie NHL year with the Avs; he entered the season with just seven games under his belt, all with Columbus.

He was a healthy scratch the first 11 games of last season and played Game 12 as an emergency forward. He became a fixture among the D-corps, playing in all situations including the left point on the power play.

“Last year I had a good opportunity in the last three quarters of the year and I did well with it, but until I can prove myself consistently on a year-by-year basis, I don’t see how you can say I’m a bargain guy yet,” he said. ” I think the best players, the biggest thing they bring is consistency. I don’t think you can judge a player off one season, or in my case, three quarters of a season.”

He added: “I want to be the same player I was last year, but I want to push myself. I don’t want to be stagnant, or the same. I want to make a bigger difference. … I’m stronger this year, and I feel like I can make a bigger impact.”

Barrie, 23, said he enjoys playing with Holden because he’s good in all areas of the ice, all situations.

“He’s got the size and all the tools. He can play power play, penalty kill,” Barrie said. “It’s pretty bizarre that he didn’t get drafted or play elsewhere much. He looks like a proven NHL defenseman, and he’s a big part of the team.”

Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikechambers

Price is right

Nick Holden of the Avs is one of the NHL’s best bargains at $600,000. Denver Post hockey reporter Mike Chambers lists five other top bargains in the league:

Patrick Maroon, F, Ducks, $575,000

He’s a first-line left wing on a Western Conference power. Begins a three-year, $6 million extension next season.

Andre Benoit, D, Sabres, $800,000

Undersized defenseman with good offensive ability takes $100,000 pay cut from what the Avs gave him last season.

Devin Setoguchi, F, Flames, $750,000

Only 27 years old, the No. 8 pick in the 2005 draft has three 20-goal seasons, and he reached 30 goals once.

Jordie Benn, D, Stars, $700,000

Played 78 games in first full NHL season in 2013-14, and was a plus-16. Younger brother and teammate Jamie Benn makes $5.75 million.

Gustav Nyquist, F, Red Wings, $950,000

Scored 28 goals in only 57 NHL games last season. Former Maine Black Bear from Sweden is only 25 years old.