Nathan MacKinnon is a Colorado Avalanche legend. He is a household name, and not for no reason.

He is one of the most decorated players in the league, nearly sweeping all the highest honors the NHL offers. Not only was he a Stanley Cup champion in 2022, but he continued to add to his already stacked resume in 2024. That year, he took The Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. He’s on lock for the All-Star Games, with yearly nominations from 2017 to 2024.

He began his Avalanche journey in 2013, his rookie year, when his class drafted him first overall. His continued domination of the league where he earned the Calder Memorial Trophy. From the beginning, he made it clear he was a generational talent.

His success is no accident, and his numbers on the stat sheet speak for themselves. He is a statistical powerhouse, making him a lethal part of the Avalanche core. This season, he was shy of his last season’s stat sheet, but not by much.

He notched a whopping 116 points with 32 goals and 84 assists. He finished in the top-five in the league for his offensive accomplishments. This is the third consecutive year putting up over 100 points.

While it is arguable that the departure of longtime line mate Mikko Rantanen was a major change in top-line chemistry, he adapted fast. He clicked with former Carolina Hurricane, Martin Nečas, who joined the team mid season.

Nečas contributed his fair share in his 30 regular season games, putting up 11 goals and 17 assists. Those numbers were no doubt helped by MacKinnon, who consistently elevates the level of play of those around him.

MacKinnon was a staple on the power play and capitalized on nine chances throughout the season.

Come the 2024–2025 postseason run, he stayed true to form. He was an unsurprising powerhouse that displayed the grit the team needed to fend off their Division Rival, the Dallas Stars.

In the seven-game bout, he tallied seven goals and four assists, three of the goals coming from the notoriously disjointed power play setup. Despite this, he still showed the leadership expected of someone wearing the ”A” on their jersey.

MacKinnon’s season included not only appearances for the Colorado Avalanche. He took part in the Four Nations Faceoff, where he brought home the trophy with teammates Cale Makar and Devon Toews. MacKinnon also joined his friend Sidney Crosby in the win.

He took home the title for most goals after notching four throughout the contests. He also had a game winning goal and took the most shots on the net for Team Canada. MacKinnon will also be representing his home country in the 2026 Olympics alongside Makar.

MacKinnon was once again nominated for the Ted Lindsay award following the 2024–2025 season, but fell short to Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov.

His contract reflects how valuable he is to the franchise and the city. With a cap hit of $12.6 million, he is the second highest paid player in the league, trailing only Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews. His contract secures him until the 2028-2029 season. It is substantial, but worth every single penny.

MacKinnon continues to be a part of the glue of the Colorado Avalanche. He sets the tone, leads by example, and stops at nothing to rise to any challenge.