Nathan MacKinnon is off to an impressive start to his 13th NHL season.
Everything is going in the right direction for MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche this season. The team won its seventh straight game on Thursday. Playing at home against the visiting New York Rangers, in the 6–3 victory, MacKinnon scored two goals and added an assist to his overall league-leading 36 points. The Avalanche’s 33 points are the most among the 32 NHL teams.
In Thursday’s game, MacKinnon surpassed Peter Stastny for second place in Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche history in points scored (1,051).
The Avalanche, at 14–1–5, lead the Western Conference by four points over the Dallas Stars. MacKinnon’s hot stick this season has many believing that the Avalanche are the favorites to return to the Stanley Cup Finals this spring. Just five seasons ago, the Avalanche captured the NHL title, besting the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Having topped the 100-point mark the past three seasons, MacKinnon is on pace to make it four straight.
As MacKinnon leads the Avalanche’s offense, Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood posts the best record in the league at 12–1–2. Heading into the Thursday game at Ball Arena, Colorado—as a team—was ranked second on the penalty kill (88.7 percent). Clearly, after 20 games played, the team is hitting on all cylinders. MacKinnon’s play is rubbing off on his teammates on both sides of the blue line. Defenseman Cale Makar, who, like MacKinnon, scored twice and added an assist to his Thursday performance, has 28 points this season. Makar is looking to become only the third defenseman in NHL history to have three consecutive 90-point seasons.
MacKinnon, the top selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, is joined again this season with Gabriel Landeskog. Returning to the ice after nearly three full seasons sidelined due to a right knee injury, Landeskog, now in his 14th season as Avalanche captain, has skated in all 20 games in 2025. Having the captain back in Colorado, coach Jared Bednar’s lineup appears to be an emotional uplift for the team. Finishing third in the NHL Central Division the past two seasons doesn’t seem as if it will be repeated this season, as the Avalanche has three of the top 10 points leaders.
MacKinnon’s scoring burst this season shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as the center has carried over his hot stick from the 2024–2025 campaign. He entered this season in gaining a point in each of the past 27 home games dating back to Dec. 24, when the Utah Mammoth won 4–1. MacKinnon had the lone goal for the Avalanche. Already winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s MVP for the 2023–2024 season, MacKinnon, 30, shows no signs of physical wear-and-tear from skating in 890 games.
If anything, MacKinnon is picking up his pace in remaining on the ice. This season, he is averaging 21.27 minutes of ice time, which is an increase from his career average of 20:32. Clearly, the driving force of the Avalanche, and arguably the best player in the NHL, MacKinnon has a wrist shot and slap shot that are second to none. His ability to make his way through multiple defenders while driving to the net remains a thing of hockey beauty. Due to his scoring ability, MacKinnon is often compared to Avalanche legends and Hockey Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg. Among the current NHL leaders, in terms of skill, MacKinnon rivals Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Auston Matthews.
Remaining healthy seems to be MacKinnon’s best chance to keep his team moving forward this season. MacKinnon is one of four Avalanche players selected for the preliminary Olympic hockey rosters. Makar and MacKinnon will skate for Team Canada. MacKinnon will be making his Olympic debut in 2026. From Feb. 6–24, the NHL regular season pauses for the Olympic Games scheduled for Italy. Many NHL players have a desire to represent their home countries on the international stage that the Olympics offer. The NHL season resumes on Feb. 25, after the Olympics conclude.
Other than improving on their power play—the Avalanche are ranked 22nd in the league—Colorado isn’t hinting at any rough patches in their game. The Avalanche will be on the road Saturday in Nashville and Sunday in Chicago before returning home on Wednesday to welcome the San Jose Sharks to Denver. After that, their upcoming opponents are not among division leaders. San Jose is in fourth place in the Pacific Division, and the Nashville Predators are in the cellar of the Central Division with 16 points. These are games Colorado should win, and needs to win, to balance their schedule before opposing the top-tier NHL teams in the future.
This past off-season, Avalanche management signed Brent Burns, re-signed Brock Nelson, and, along with Wedgewood, they have fellow goalie Mackenzie Blackwood signed to a five-year deal. They also have scorers and elite defensemen. This team, this group of Avalanche in 2025–2026 is built to go deep into the postseason. With MacKinnon leading the charge and carrying the flag for the organization, the Florida Panthers are in for a serious challenge to be dethroned as defending NHL Stanley Cup champions.
