Trading Nathan MacKinnon has to be dumbest idea ever

The idea of the Colorado Avalanche trading Nathan MacKinnon has to be right up there with drinking bleach for breakfast.

But one veteran journalist believes that the Avalanche might have to.

During an appearance on the Montreal Canadiens-centric The Sick Podcast, veteran NHL reporter James Murphy expounded on the rationale the Colorado Avalanche might have for trading MacKinnon.

In particular, Murphy made the point about the Avs being underwhelming despite the uber-talented roster the club has had over the years. I can’t disagree with his opinion regarding how the Avalanche should have already won another Stanley Cup since 2022.

But his idea of trading MacKinnon to shake things up, now that’s on another level. I get how the Avs could use a wake-up call. But there is no replacing MacKinnon. Unless you’re getting someone like Connor McDavid back, it’s tough to fathom any team having the pieces to entice Colorado to make a deal.

While Murphy believes the Canadiens are the team best-positioned to make this trade happen, the Habs just don't have the pieces to make such a trade happen. No team does.

Perhaps the only scenario in which the Avalanche could trade MacKinnon is if the team suddenly went down the tubes and a full-on rebuild was necessary.

Check out the conversation here:

While I agree that Cale Makar’s contract will play a major role in defining Colorado’s cap structure moving forward, there’s a fundamental flaw in Murphy’s assessment. The Avalanche are NOT Nathan MacKinnon’s team. Colorado is Gabe Landeskog’s club. He’s the captain. He’s the heart and soul. While MacKinnon may be the most talented forward, the Avalanche belong to Landeskog.

And if there was a guy Joe Sakic would have to get rid of to really send a message, it would be Landeskog. Of course, doing that would be the equivalent of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

So, that’s that.

Is Nathan MacKinnon too demanding on teammates?

There was another interesting claim during Murphy’s exposition into his thought process. Murphy claimed that MacKinnon was too demanding on other teammates, potentially rubbing some the wrong way.

Now, it’s no secret that MacKinnon is a demanding guy. He’s the most demanding person on himself. But to take that to the extent that Murphy did, that’s just bonkers.

Don’t get me wrong. I respect Murphy. But he’s way off base here. Nathan MacKinnon is the sort of player other players want to be around. Young guys want to learn from him. Star players want to be with him because they know they’ll be superstars.

MacKinnon is the guy you build a team around. And if he pushes teammates, well, that’s what superstars do. Star players push teammates with their work ethic. They chart a course. And if there are guys unwilling to pay the price to win, so be it. That’s their prerogative.

The Colorado Avalanche would immediately plunge into an era of darkness without MacKinnon. That’s not hyperbole. It’s just reality.

If the Avalanche ever traded MacKinnon, it would be under extenuating circumstances. We’re not nearly there. So, this idea will just be one of those that lives in la-la land.

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