We all know the talents of Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon. He’s a Stanley Cup champion, a Hart Trophy winner, Ted Lindsay award winner, has a Calder Cup, and has also the Lady Byng trophy and a Memorial Cup. If you ask literally anybody in the NHL, every single one of those people would tell you that MacKinnon is the best player in the league. In fact, his Hart trophy win was following just last season. He’s on his way to potentially win another Hart, too.
It’s always a thrill to get to watch MacKinnon in an Avalanche sweater. He makes everyone around him better, including the likes of Martin Necas, who came over to Colorado in a trade with the Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen. I’m excited to see who wins that trade in a couple of years, but early signs point towards the Avs winning, with the instant impact of Necas, and don’t forget Jack Drury, who hasn’t gotten as much attention as Necas, but he’s done well, too.
MacKinnon is also taking part in the NHL’s 4 Nations tournament, featuring Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden. Also representing Canada are Devon Toews and Cale Makar. Representing Finland are Arturri Lehkonen and Rantanen. I’d love to see Team Canada win, as it would also add to MacKinnon’s illustrious career.
But what else might MacKinnon have to accomplish to ensure his placement into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Winning a gold medal at the Olympics
The Olympics are bringing the NHL and its talents with them in upcoming years. To be specific, plans are to have the sport happen in 2026 and 2030, the best two times that the Winter Olympics will be taking place.
By 2030, MacKinnon will be 35 years old, and on the backend of his career. By then, Avalanche fans hope that he has helped the team win several more Stanley Cup trophies, further making a case that he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame at Brookfield Place, 30 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada.
At the Olympics, MacKinnon would be paired with a team full of current NHL greats. It’s possible that his good buddy Sidney Crosby will be around still to potentially play alongside MacKinnon again. The same goes for Cale Makar, who is only 26-years-old right now. There’s plenty of hockey left for the two Avalanche stars, and who knows? Maybe by then, the team will have several other superstar players to play alongside each other at the Olympics.