2. Is Nathan MacKinnon an Elite Player?
Speaking of Nathan MacKinnon, now we start getting to the big questions facing the Colorado Avalanche. Because if MacKinnon didn’t have his breakout season last year, no way the Avs make the playoffs. Or get much more than, say, 70-something points.
That 97-point MacK was not a player we’ve ever seen, not since major juniors anyway. He came close his rookie season. However, prior to that God-Mode season last year, here’s how the progression of MacKinnon’s career has been:
- 2013-14: 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 82 games
- 2014-15: 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 64 games
- 2015-16: 52 points (21 goals, 31 assists) in 72 games
- 2016-17: 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 82 games
So, as Eminem would say, would the real Nate Dawg please stand up. Is it the player who earned .59 points per game in 2014-15? Or is it the player who earned 1.31 points per game last season?
Needless to say, we need it to be the latter. When we traded Matt Duchene, we bet the farm on Nathan MacKinnon. If he’s not at least a point-a-game player, we’re screwed.
That’s just what you expect from your first-overall franchise player.