Top star now regarded as one of the NHL’s elite players, once feared the Colorado Avalanche might trade him due to his early struggles and lack of professionalism. Despite leading the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup in over 20 years in 2022, the star forward wasn’t always confident about his future in Denver.
“It was like, ‘I have to turn my career around here, or they’re going to trade me,’” MacKinnon told The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus.
Drafted first overall in 2013, MacKinnon had a strong rookie season with 63 points in 82 games but failed to match that mark in each of the next three seasons. By the summer of 2017, following a last-place finish for Colorado, he was a four-year veteran still searching for a breakthrough. However, glimpses of his potential began to emerge, earning him his first All-Star nod.
Looking back, MacKinnon admitted he wasn’t fully committed early on. “I wasn’t a pro,” he said. “I didn’t know how to treat my body, work on my game, or do all the little things away from the rink to have success on the ice. I had a lot of figuring out to do.”
After making that shift in his approach, MacKinnon had a breakout season in 2017-18, posting a then-career-high 97 points in 74 games. Since then, he has established himself as one of the NHL’s most dominant players, averaging over 1.4 points per game and winning the Hart Trophy last season.
Most recently, MacKinnon reached a major milestone, becoming just the 100th player in NHL history to surpass 1,000 career points—a feat he accomplished in only 857 regular-season games.