Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon has been consistently among the NHL’s best players since entering the league. Year after year, MacKinnon is among the top two players in the league. It’s often a debate whether MacKinnon is better than Connor McDavid and vice versa.
One of the things that has propelled MacKinnon to the toppermost of the NHL is his relentless drive to be the best. That’s a feeling Peter Baugh of The Athletic captured in a December 17 piece.
Baugh quoted MacKinnon as stating:
“Obviously I’m 30, but I just feel like I’m kind of getting started, to be honest.”
Entering Wednesday night’s action, MacKinnon has 395 goals and 1,073 points in 903 NHL games. And he’s JUST getting started?
It’s impressive to think about everything he’s accomplished since the 2013-14 season. His biggest feat was winning the 2022 Stanley Cup. That season, MacKinnon and the Avalanche not only won the Cup, but they knocked off the two-time champs at the same time.
But winning one Cup isn’t enough for MacKinnon. This season, he and the Avs are on a mission to tear up the NHL. It’s not that Colorado hasn’t been on the quest before. It’s just that this season, the Avs have something to prove.
As Pierre LeBrun noted in a November 24 piece, it’s like the Avalanche are playing with a chip on their shoulder. It makes sense considering the unceremonious first-round exit they had last season. Former teammate Mikko Rantanen led the Dallas Stars to a seven-game win over Colorado.
That’s something MacKinnon wants to change this season. He knows that time is running out to win. That sentiment is something he echoed in this statement:
“When you’re young, there’s always next year. Now there’s a lot on us this year. … It’s not like we have seven more tries at this thing.”
MacKinnon’s impressive workout and nutrition regimen have kept him in tip-top shape even at 30. But there’s no telling how much longer he can keep it up. Similarly, there’s no telling how much longer the Avalanche’s current core can keep the party going.
As implausible as it may seem, this season is Stanley Cup or bust for the Avalanche. While a rebuild is nowhere in sight, years of tough early playoff exits may be on the horizon. That can change with a Cup win this season. The Avs may still have enough gas in the tank to become a dynasty of their own.
In the meantime, MacKinnon is keen on using painful experiences to rally his team. He stated:
“Sometimes, a tough defeat can kind of bring guys together more. Even if it wasn’t good, you still experience a lot of emotion together. I think that can really bond you if it’s used in the right way.”
Last year’s playoff exit qualifies as a tough defeat. That may just be the fuel driving the Avalanche this season. With the current state of affairs in the NHL at the moment, it may just be Colorado’s year.