Talking The Colorado Avalanche
from the Denver Post,
In this Avalanche roundtable, beat writer Mike Chambers, columnist Mark Kiszla and staff writer Ryan O’Halloran address five questions about the Avs’ postseason and offseason:
1. After the Avalanche was eliminated by Vegas on Thursday, center Nathan MacKinnon was asked about 2021-22 and the team’s window and said: “I’m going into my ninth year next year and haven’t won (squat).” A frustrated star player after a collapse or was he sending a message to management that the Avs better not run it back with this group?
Mike Chambers: I think MacKinnon really liked this group and was frustrated like everyone about how the Avs couldn’t play their game after the first period of Game 2 through most of Game 4. But perhaps he was thinking about something he thought the team should have added at the trade deadline and did not — probably more heaviness knowing forward Matt Calvert and defenseman Erik Johnson would not return.
Mark Kiszla: I’m beginning to get the same vibe from MacKinnon I felt from John Elway after his early disappointments in the Super Bowl. Elway got to the point where he wanted more say in how the Broncos did their business. Joe Sakic and the Avalanche might be wise to treat MacKinnon more like a partner than an employee going forward. But as talented as he is, I also think MacKinnon tends to be a bit of a diva. Approaching his 26th birthday, MacK is no Kid. It might be time for him to grow up a bit as a leader.
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