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Colorado Avalanche: 5 Players Must Step Up in Johnson’s Absence

By Nadia Archuleta

Nov 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson (6) controls the puck in the third period against the Minnesota Wild at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson (6) controls the puck in the third period against the Minnesota Wild at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 17, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates with the puck ahead of Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel (81) during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Nathan MacKinnon

I’ve been a little hard on center Nathan MacKinnon this season. He’s still a youngster at 21, but this is his fourth full season in the NHL. What’s more, he’s been named an alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche this year.

Now, MacKinnon does lead the team in points. However, it’s taken just 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) to be top of the heap on the Avalanche. Nate should be soaring. Not only should he be near the point-a-game mark (and would it really be out of this world to expect him to be near Connor McDavid‘s 34 points?), he should be elevating his teammates as well. That’s what you expect when you draft a player first-overall.

(To be fair, MacKinnon is third on the team for Corsi For at 52.8%, meaning the team is in control of the puck more often than not when he’s playing.)

The truth is, Alex Tanguay has been known to say your draft position doesn’t always translate into the NHL — it’s about what you did before getting drafted. Prior to McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers could tell you all about that.

Well, with Erik Johnson out for up to two months, the Colorado Avalanche defense isn’t going to be even as good as it was. We might see more goals going in — or at least even more shots.

That means it’s up to the scorers to do just that — score. MacKinnon is one day soon going to be the highest-paid player ever in the Colorado Avalanche. He’s already into his fourth professional year. It’s time for him to pull the mantle of leadership around him and live up to the trust Colorado placed in him as the first-overall pick.

Next: EJ's Injury is the Last Straw for the Avs

I’m going to call it now — the Colorado Avalanche aren’t making the playoffs this year. However, it would be no fun to watch the Avs tank just so they could win the Nolan Patrick race. (He’s the projected first-overall pick for 2017.)

Hopefully Colorado doesn’t use the loss of its best defenseman as an excuse to lose. It’s time for the Avs to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

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