Nathan MacKinnon just added another line to an already stacked résumé. On Wednesday night, during the Avalanche’s 4-2 win over the Sharks, the Colorado center notched his 700th career assist-yet another milestone in a career that keeps stacking up accolades like pucks in the back of the net.
The assist came in classic MacKinnon fashion: a high-speed, high-IQ play that showcased his elite vision. Late in the second period, Colorado broke out on an odd-man rush.
Valeri Nichushkin carried the puck into the zone and hit MacKinnon, who was driving hard toward the net. But instead of forcing a low-percentage shot from in tight, MacKinnon pulled up, surveyed the ice, and dropped a perfect pass to the trailing Artturi Lehkonen, who buried his second goal of the night.
Just like that, assist No. 700 was in the books.
With that dish, MacKinnon became just the second player in franchise history-going back to the Quebec Nordiques era-to reach 700 assists. The only other?
Hall of Famer Joe Sakic, who sits atop the Avalanche leaderboard with 1,016. That’s elite company, and MacKinnon’s closing in fast.
And this wasn’t the only major milestone MacKinnon has hit recently. Back on January 19, he became the 70th player in NHL history to reach 1,100 career points. He’s 30 years old, playing arguably the best hockey of his career, and showing no signs of slowing down.
Coming into Wednesday’s game, MacKinnon had already put up 40 goals and 51 assists in just 54 games-a blistering 91-point pace that has him leading the league in goals and trailing only Connor McDavid in total points. That’s Hart Trophy territory, again, for the 2024 winner.
And if you watched him dominate the 4 Nations Face-Off last February-where he scored four goals in four games and was named MVP-you know this isn’t just about stats. MacKinnon is a game-changer, plain and simple.
He’s also a Stanley Cup champion, having helped lead Colorado to glory in 2022. And with the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on the horizon, you can bet he’ll be a key piece for Team Canada as they chase gold.
Next up? The 500-goal club.
MacKinnon’s sitting at 407 career goals, and if he keeps producing at this pace, it’s only a matter of time before he hits that next benchmark. With every milestone, he’s cementing his legacy as one of the premier players of his generation-and he’s not done yet.