The Colorado Avalanche took forward Nathan MacKinnon first overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. That particular draft featured a ton of guys taken in the first round that are still playing today, which is a remarkable feat. MacKinnon is probably the best out of that entire class, too. He’s got two Hart trophies and is looking to add another one, along with his single Stanley Cup victory.
Earlier in the season, MacKinnon was projected to win the Hart trophy again, and this time, in a landslide.
To this day, there are no signs of MacKinnon slowing down, and that’s a scary thought for all of the other 31 teams in the league. What’s even scarier is that MacKinnon isn’t going anywhere for a long, long time. In fact, he himself just recently acknowledged that he would be open to playing until he is 40 years old.
In a collaboration quick-hitter interview with Cwench Hydration, MacKinnon was asked several questions, including what his first ever hockey memory is, why he chose the jersey number 29, the most important part of his off-ice routine, his thoughts on if he thinks he’d still be playing at 40 years old, and several other questions fans would probably find quite interesting.
I’d like to focus on that question about his potential playing career longevity. MacKinnon turns 31 at the beginning of Semptember of the upcoming season. He’s achieved so much already, and it’s hard to believe that he has been in the league for 13 years. He’s had some ups and downs, primarily his second-through-fourth seasons in the league when the Avalanche were pretty bad. As an asset to the Avalanche overall, however, he’s been their best offensive player for quite some time.
Nathan MacKinnon’s work has paid off for the Avalanche over the years
There was a point in which MacKinnon voiced his frustration with the fact that he was going into his ninth season and hadn’t won (expletive). If you know, you know. That quote came after the playoff series defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights. The following season, he helped the team change that fact, winning the Stanley Cup after years of falling short.
To this day, MacKinnon is playing at Hart trophy-caliber levels. He recently won that trophy, and while there are still some other players competing for it, I think that’s something that drives him to be the best player he can be.
Even though the Avalanche traded away MacKinnon’s long-time wing buddy Mikko Rantanen, one of the players they got in return, Martin Necas, has been just as effective if not more. They have worked well together since becoming teammates, and that’s something that helped ease the pain of losing “The Moose”.
MacKinnon has gone through several different line mates over the years, and it just seems like he’ll be the best player on the ice for as long as he wants to play. If he leads the Avalanche to another Stanley Cup victory in the next couple of years, will that desire to keep playing weaken? Let’s hope not. But as of right now, it feels like a safe bet that Avs Faithful will get to see him play for at least another nine or ten years.