MacKinnon vs... absolutely nobody from this era

[SuperMatt18]

He really took off once Duchene moved on.

I think once he felt like he was "the guy" that his play really took off.

[Inglewood Jack]

he's always been a high volume shooter, but the S% went up dramatically in his 5th year, so something changed about his shot selection, mixed in with some random luck. this is around when Rantanen blew up too, so it's very much a chemistry thing...not unlike McJordan/Crysaitl and Matthews/Marner, except without the sadness and broken dreams.

[Manhattanboy]

Like I said in another thread. I use the fear factor.

Who would scare you the most to have to face in a playoff series?

Absolutely MacKinnon. Hopefully we have to never see him again.

[schteve_d]

If I'm building an NHL team and I need to pick one player to build around I think, right now for me, it's Nathan MacKinnon.

Then you think he makes nearly half of what Connor McAvi does! That is crazy!

[Hey Connor, It's Mess]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

If I'm building an NHL team and I need to pick one player to build around I think, right now for me, it's Nathan MacKinnon.

Then you think he makes nearly half of what Connor McAvi does! That is crazy!

Agreed. And skill aside, there's a stark difference in leadership skills between MacKinnon and Captain Let's Go.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

If I'm building an NHL team and I need to pick one player to build around I think, right now for me, it's Nathan MacKinnon.

Then you think he makes nearly half of what Connor McAvi does! That is crazy!

Colorado was sooooo lucky that Mackinnon got off to a relatively slow start in his career.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Colorado was sooooo lucky that Mackinnon got off to a relatively slow start in his career.

Mackinnon plays a mans game, and needed a mans body to play it.

If all he cared about was beating you with speed and hands he would do it, but Mackinnon also beats you physically in the corners, along the boards or by bulling you over in the middle of the ice.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

He really took off once Duchene moved on.

I think once he felt like he was "the guy" that his play really took off.

This reminds me of how much Giordano improved as soon as Iginla and Bouwmeester were traded.

I wonder if any of the Flames' defense would take a huge step forward if they suddenly became "the guy" on the back end.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

This reminds me of how much Giordano improved as soon as Iginla and Bouwmeester were traded.

I wonder if any of the Flames' defense would take a huge step forward if they suddenly became "the guy" on the back end.

Hanifin?

[FanIn80]

I've been looking for a player to come along and fill the void that Forsberg left. The kind of player that will always be my favourite. Fast, skilled, intelligent, physical, mean (not dirty, just mean), commited, determined and just downright fear-inducing. Peter Forsberg, Cam Neely... I'm too young to have seen Gordie Howe in his prime, but I understand he was that type as well.

Today's MacKinnon has all of that except for the meanstreak. He's the only player since Forsberg that terrifies me when he has the puck.

Like, look at last night's OT winner. They finally got the puck to him, and immediately three guys move up to cover him... on a 5 on 4 powerplay, he's got the full undived attention of three defenders. I mean, come on. How is that not going to end up in the net when he's not only able to create a 4 on 1 matchup, but also get the puck to the right shooter in the perfect spot?

If he just developed a bit of a meanstreak and started reverse-hitting guys into next week, or just straight up crushing players into the boards... man oh man...

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hanifin?

Andersson. Hanifin's not that guy.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I really like Landeskog, but definitely not at his price tag. He is easily going to clear $9.0 m on a long-term deal, and I just don't think he will be nearly as good removed from his situation in Denver.

I'll be surprised if he gets >9...I'd guess closer to 8x8

[The Yen Man]

Even at $8M per year, I don't think Landeskog is worth that on a long term contract. Some GM's gonna regret that signing.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

Even at $8M per year, I don't think Landeskog is worth that on a long term contract. Some GM's gonna regret that signing.

What do Makar and Grubauer get? The Avs will need to shed salary to keep all 3.

Mackinnon and rantanen had slow starts this year when Landeskog was hurt. IMO he will get at least $8 mil but I do agree if he wasn’t with that line no way anyone is giving him $8 mil

[djsFlames]

Best player.

Racking up goals and apples in 5-3 losses all season doesn't make you anywhere near the best.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

I remember in 2013 being more interested in Drouin for fantasy hockey purposes, as some predicted he'd be the more prolific scorer. I'm still not even sure how TB borked that one up so bad. the Sam Bennett experience is certainly not unique to the Flames, it just stings us harder because we haven't gotten multiple cracks in that top 5 realm to make up for it.

Tb had the had the good sense to turn Druin into Sergagev almost instantly.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Tb had the had the good sense to turn Druin into Sergagev almost instantly.

Four years after Drouin was drafted and over a year after Drouin demanded a trade? They suspended him instead of traded him.

[Oling_Roachinen]

If anything they had the good sense to not trade him instantly. He was struggling in the NHL and refusing to play in the AHL. Instead they let him increase his value the next season when he put up 53 in 73.

[Jimdon]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

This reminds me of how much Giordano improved as soon as Iginla and Bouwmeester were traded.

I wonder if any of the Flames' defense would take a huge step forward if they suddenly became "the guy" on the back end.

There was chatter out there that Iginla had become bigger than the team for a couple years before he was traded. I don't get that same feeling from Gio, but I also don't feel like he has the same reverence of his teammates that Iginla had either.

If you don't have anyone ready to step up when your captain and number one defenseman is coming up on 39 years old you've built a bad team.

[Hi-Psi]

I've had the pleasure of watching the Avalanche all season because my GF's a big fan.

MacKinnon is absolutely one of the best in the league, if not the best. He's a true leader, physical, insanely fast and he's literally ALWAYS in the play, making plays. I honestly think he should be the captain, he's more captain material than Landeskog in my opinion, especially this year where Landeskog has been almost invisible through stretches(although he still puts up points but there's an argument to be made that anyone can put up points on this team)

I've joked all year that the Avs are like an all-star team in this league right now. It's their cup to lose and has been most of the season, especially the last half of the season.

I'm a Flames fan through and through but damn is it ever nice watching a team that's ACTUALLY good. It's been extremely hard watching Flames games this season, especially if the Avs game was just on the TV before or after the Flames.

McDavid is insanely skilled but lacks the leadership and physicality. Crosby is probably the most rounded player in the league but starting to get up there in age. MacKinnon IMO is next in line or slightly higher than Crosby these days.