Colorado's elite center earned a high spot on the league's network top 20 list.
NHL Network's producers and analysts ranked Nathan MacKinnon No. 2 among the league's top 20 centers ahead of the 2024-25 season. He won his first Hart Trophy and first Ted Lindsay Award last season, and bested Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the MVP accolade — who took the top spot on the network's list.
MacKinnon, 28, finished the 2023-24 season with 140 points, four fewer than the other finalist for the Hart Trophy — Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. He scored 51 goals, which was fourth in the league and earned the No. 3 spot in assists with 89.
The Halifax, Nova Scotia native played all 82 games last season and notched 29 more points than his previous career high. He hit triple digits for the first time in the 2022-23 season with 111 points in 71 games.
"Every player I grew up idolizing has their name on these things. So, to be a part of that company, is surreal — it hasn't really sunk in and you know, it's definitely a special thing," MacKinnon said after the NHL Awards ceremony.
The 6-foot forward averaged nearly five shots per game and had the most overall (405) in the league. He challenged Wayne Gretzky's record for the NHL's longest home-point scoring streak with at least a point in 35 games at Ball Arena.
"I don't know, just like the whole city and the fans were behind me. They knew what was going on whenever I get a point ... they got a little bit of extra cheer even for a second assist sometimes," MacKinnon said. "Cool streak, I don't think it's ever going to happen again, so it was a fun one."
MacKinnon's work ethic on and off the ice elevated his play to new heights this past season. He is in the prime of his career and expected to continue to improve in the 2024-25 season. Even though he achieved his career best seasons without Gabriel Landeskog, MacKinnon's intensity will likely increase with the return of the team's captain.
