A little over four years ago, a recently hired Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, Joe Sakic, took to the draft stage to make the Colorado Avalanche’s only first overall selection since moving to Denver. It was a big moment for the franchise – after floundering for four years under the tutelage of Greg Sherman, this pick represented a fresh start for the Avalanche’s struggling rebuild.
Unsurprisingly, Nathan MacKinnon was selected. The young center was fresh off a Memorial Cup victory with the Halifax Mooseheads, and his combination of speed, vision, hands, defense, and shooting made him the natural choice as the franchise’s next cornerstone player.