1. Nathan MacKinnon
Unless you are a new hockey/Avalanche fan, you knew that Nathan MacKinnon was going to be number on this list. MacKinnon was in a fun tight race for the Hart trophy, and that is because he had 140 points last season. Despite coming in second in that category (Nikita Kucherov, 144), MacKinnon was a dominant force and also had 51 goals.
There were several times last season where I watched MacKinnon fly down the ice at speeds that you’d imagine could never be possible. He’s a thrill to watch.
MacKinnon finished the regular season with 89 assists. While there were some instances where he didn’t score a goal, he was on a mission to help his teammates make plays.
When asked about MacKinnon, one particular word kept coming up by his teammates: consistency. MacKinnon is extremely consistent. You have to be aware of where he is at all times. Otherwise he will burn you. And while his teammate Cale Makar owns the hardest shot record from this past All-Star break competition, MacKinnon’s isn’t one to laugh at.
Surprisingly, there were 44 games in which he did not score a goal. Meanwhile, there were only 22 games in which she did not have an assist.