There have been three 17-year olds selected as the top pick in the NHL Draft. In 1997 Joe Thornton was selected by the Boston Bruins. In 2005, the Pittsburgh Penguins chose Sidney Crosby.
If the 2013 top overall pick, Nathan MacKinnon, wasn’t already feeling pressure as the top pick, keeping company with Thornton and Crosby might do the trick. MacKinnon doesn’t seem to notice. After putting pen to paper on his first professional contract July 9th, MacKinnon called it “a dream come true.”
The Avalanche open camp September 12 and head coach Patrick Roy has already said that MacKinnon will play in Colorado and center a line with Jamie McGinn and Steve Downie. It’s great that Roy, a rookie coach, has already promised his prize rookie a roster spot, but anything to take pressure off the youngster is probably a good thing.
Nathan MacKinnon will turn 18 before Colorado opens up their training camp and the expectations from the Avs faithful are already out there. The smooth skating center was regarded as the most well rounded forward in the draft with the size and the game to play in the NHL immediately. The former Halifax Moosehead star combined great speed with game-changing skill drawing comparisons to fellow Shattuck-St. Mary’s high school grads Zach Parise and yes, Sidney Crosby.
Let the comparisons to current NHL stars fall away until MacKinnon actually hits the ice. While he excelled among his peers, the NHL has proven to be more than many youngsters can handle. A team like Colorado has plenty of talented players, particularly up the middle with Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny and Ryan O’Reilly. MacKinnon will be allowed to develop at his own pace without the expectations that he is somehow going to save the franchise.
The physical part of the NHL is what typically separates the men from the boys. Literally. Undersized or less physical forwards can get eaten alive if they shy away from the contact. MacKinnon has the speed and sense to steer clear of the danger, but also possesses a physical side to his game that can catch larger players off guard. As strong as he is on his skates, it will be no easy task to knock the rookie star off the puck or his feet.
A fair projection for the young center would be 22 goals and 34 assists in 72 games. The grind of a full NHL season typically wears most of the young bucks down, so expect MacKinnon to miss a few games with some bumps and bruises. Colorado won’t make too much noise in their new Central Division home, but there will be much to look forward to with Nathan MacKinnon in the mile high city.