Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar fell short in the 2025 Ted Lindsay Award voting. The honor went to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov.
Surprise! Nikita Kucherov is the 2024-25 #TedLindsayAward recipient. https://t.co/TTfgQHVXhX
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) June 4, 2025
Kucherov edged MacKinnon in the Art Ross Trophy race, notching 121 points to MacKinnon’s 116. That’s considering that MacKinnon sat out the last couple of regular-season games in preparation for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
As for Makar, he finished ninth in the league in scoring with 92 points. His 30 goals marked the first time a blue liner hit that mark in 16 seasons. Makar is the presumptive Norris Trophy winner this season, and should only continue to get better with time.
It’s worth pointing out that the NHLPA, in other words, the players, vote for the Ted Lindsay Award.
MacKinnon won the Ted Lindsay award last season, beating out Kucherov en route to capturing the Hart Trophy as well. MacKinnon’s season was highlighted by reaching the 1,000-point mark early in the year while winning the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament MVP.
This season, MacKinnon was a surprising snub as a Hart Trophy finalist, with Kucherov getting the nod along with the Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl and Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck.
MacKinnon, Makar headline Colorado Avalanche strong core despite missing out on Ted Lindsay
There’s no question that Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have cemented their legacies with the Colorado Avalanche despite not claiming the Ted Lindsay this season.
The duo has been part of the Colorado Avalanche’s strong core that has made the team a perennial Stanley Cup contender.
While the Avalanche came up short this postseason, the expectation is that the club will have another solid regular season followed by a strong playoff run. The re-signing of Brock Nelson is a great start, but questions remain amid a complex salary cap situation.
But having MacKinnon and Makar leading the way gives the Avalanche as good a chance as any team to win the Stanley Cup next season. Some teams like the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets could see a slight regression next season. As such, that situation could open the door for the Avalanche to run away with the Central Division.
It’s worth keeping in mind that winning a division, or even being the top seed at the end of the regular season, is no guarantee of playoff success.
That is why this offseason will be crucial for the Avalanche as they look to build a solid lineup. The prospect of having a full, healthy season from captain Gabriel Landeskog is something Avalanche fans can look forward to.
Plus, full training camps for Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, and MacKenzie Blackwood should help them hit the ground running next season.