The Colorado Avalanche can live with Nathan MacKinnon being physical. They can live with him finishing checks, battling for loose pucks and standing up for himself when things get heated.
What they cannot afford is their best player getting hurt in a fight.
That concern became impossible to ignore when MacKinnon dropped the gloves with Brandt Clarke during the Avalanche’s first game of the season. MacKinnon had no problem standing up for himself and clearly won the fight, but that is almost beside the point.
Colorado has far too much riding on MacKinnon’s health to see him drop the gloves at will.
Yes, fighting is part of hockey, and there are moments when a player has to answer the bell. But you have to think there is a massive difference between a fourth-line grinder squaring off in defense of a teammate and a superstar, Hart Trophy candidate facing off against a depth defenseman.
MacKinnon Did Nothing Wrong, But the Avalanche Still Need to Be Careful
MacKinnon deserves a ton of credit for standing up to Clarke.
There is certainly something valuable about a superstar refusing to back down, particularly when the team needs a boost. MacKinnon has always played with an edge, and it’s that competitiveness that has fueled his surprisingly physical style.
But Colorado's coaching staff and management surely held their breath when he took part in that fight.
All it takes is one awkward fall.
Just look at what happened to Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers. The bruiser shattered his thumb in a fight last season. Logan Mailloux of the St. Louis Blues also sustained a hand injury after fighting during the preseason, a fight in a meaningless preseason game.
Neither player needed to be a superstar for those injuries to matter.
Now imagine the same thing happening to MacKinnon.
A broken hand could keep him out for weeks. A shoulder injury could potentially create an even bigger problem. That’s something the Avalanche simply cannot afford. It’s one thing to have MacKinnon throwing his weight around. And it’s another entirely different thing having him engage in fisticuffs.
That is simply too much risk to take unnecessarily.
This Is Why Enforcers Still Have a Role in the NHL
There is a reason why NHL teams still value players in the so-called enforcer role.
Sure, the old-school enforcer role isn’t what it used to be, but the basic concept remains the same. Teams still need players who can take on some of the physical risk that comes with roughhousing, especially fighting.
If an opponent wants to send a message, there should be players on the roster capable of answering it without putting the franchise player in harm's way.
That does not mean MacKinnon should avoid physical play. Quite the opposite. His intensity is part of what makes him so effective.
But there is a difference between being aggressive and getting into serious mayhem.
The Avalanche need MacKinnon scoring goals and creating chances, not crushing skills with a few right hands. He doesn’t have to prove any of that.
MacKinnon may have come out of the fight with Clarke just fine. He may even have sent an early message that he will not be pushed around.
Still, Colorado should hope that was an exception rather than something that becomes part of MacKinnon's nightly routine.
The Avalanche simply cannot afford to lose their best player because he decided to drop the gloves.
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