Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon has everything a Hall of Fame player needs on his resume.
The most elusive of honors, a Stanley Cup, is well in hand.
But there’s one trophy that’s slipped through MacKinnon’s fingers over the years: The Art Ross.
The Art Ross Trophy goes to the player who racks up the most points during the regular season. And even with video game numbers, MacKinnon has never won it.
He’s come close a couple of times. He’s been the runner-up on multiple occasions, but has never managed to get over the top and claim the NHL’s scoring lead.
The Avalanche star has missed out to Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov. But there’s actually a reason to believe 2026-27 could be MacKinnon’s year.
Last year, MacKinnon won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer with 53 tallies. But he ultimately finished third in the league in scoring with 127 points. He trailed Kucherov by three and McDavid by 11.
While that gap may seem insurmountable, MacKinnon’s continued offensive evolution, as evidenced by his Rocket Richard victory, could be an intermediate step in finally netting the Art Ross.
But it will take a little more than just his skills to top the league’s best scorers.
MacKinnon will need help from his linemates
The most important factor in MacKinnon’s quest for the Art Ross will be staying healthy. Assuming he can avoid a devastating injury or a nagging ailment, topping the NHL in scoring will come down to his linemates.
Martin Necas has already become a 100-point man. So, it will take another such season from Necas to help MacKinnon leave McDavid and Kucherov in the rearview.
The wild card, if you will, will be the other forward in Colorado’s top line. Specifically, it will depend on Artturi Lehkonen or perhaps Nazem Kadri to help MacKinnon get over the proverbial hump.
Now, let’s assume something for a minute. Let’s say that whoever plays on that top line with MacKinnon and Necas stays there for the entire season. As such, would it be out of the question to think the Avalanche could have three 100-point players?
If it’s Kadri, well, it’s doable. He had a career-high 87 points in 2021-22. While that was a few years ago, there may just be one more remarkable season from Kadri.
With those linemates, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see MacKinnon hit 130 or 140 points this season.
Again, there will be numerous variables in play. But with all things being equal, there is a very good chance that Nathan MacKinnon could finally land that one major trophy missing from his resume.
If he adds the Conn Smythe along the way, the only thing we could argue would be missing from MacKinnon’s resume is an Olympic gold medal.
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