Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche find themselves in a very similar position just one year apart. With Martin Necas’ future marred with question marks, it’s time to see whether the Avs learned their lesson from the past NHL season.
Trading away Mikko Rantanen set off a chain reaction which the Avalanche still heave eight months later. Now, it’s Necas who Colorado must figure out a way to re-sign before losing him to unrestricted free agency in the NHL.
With training camp beginning across the continent, MacKinnon and the Avs are trying to focus on the mission at hand. But it’s hard to concentrate when there’s so much noise surrounding a player of Necas’ caliber. Last year, the buzz around Rantanen was even louder, but if Colorado is certain about one thing, it’s that they can’t trip over the same stone again.
Everything would be much easier for the Avalanche if they knew what’s on Necas mind as he enters the last season of his two-year, $13 million deal. As Colorado returned to the ice for training camp, Necas spoke with reporters, though his message didn’t put doubts to rest.
Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
“The way we play here, I think it kind of fits my game. It was definitely a shock when I was traded, but yeah. On [an extension], we’re talking… we’ll see what’s going to happen,” Martin Necas commented during his press conference. “Can’t really tell you, I don’t even know. It will be interesting and, you know, it’s more about my agent.”
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Open wound
The Avalanche aren’t new to heartbreaking losses in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Frankly, no team in the NHL is. But last season’s elimination cut deeper than any other—because it came in a Game 7, because a familiar face like Rantanen was at the center of it, and because there were countless moments when the puck could’ve bounced the other way.
It didn’t, and ultimately, Colorado was out, and Dallas was in. MacKinnon didn’t sugarcoat his feelings when addressing the recent defeat in the postseason, voicing a sincere comment.
“It still hurts, for sure,” MacKinnon admitted during media day in Denver. “I thought we were good enough to win last year. You aren’t going to win every single year, even with the same team. Lot of things need to fall into place.”
Reset
“Special teams lost us that series. Definitely, that was the issue. I don’t know how far negativity can drive for the next nine months. We’re trying to be positive,” MacKinnon added.
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“There are going to be a lot of ups-and-downs, it’s going to be a grilling season, especially with the Olympics. Definitely hurts, I’m sure that game [seven] will always hurt. But going forward I don’t think it can really motivate you in the right ways if you’re trying to win.”
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While the loss to the Stars clearly lingered throughout the offseason, it’s time to hit the reset button in The Mile High City. MacKinnon knows it, and the Avalanche are heading into the new season with that mindset. How far it will take them, that remains to be seen.
