Last summer, Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon finished second in Hart Trophy voting as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. While there is a feeling that MacKinnon was most deserving, he ultimately fell a few votes behind Taylor Hall.
This season, MacKinnon’s name hasn’t been in the MVP discussion nearly as much despite the fact that what he’s doing might be even more impressive. Maybe it’s because this year’s Avalanche team has spent most of the season looking like a disappointment compared to last season’s overachievers. Or maybe it’s simply that people are used to Nathan MacKinnon being one of the best forwards in hockey and that greatness is boring.