Countdown to Camp - Nathan MacKinnon

[Former Ladder]

Today we take a look at our budding young star, Ken MacNathanon....erm.... Nathan MacKinnon. Some of my thunder was stolen by another MacKinnon thread in our forum but this one is part of the Countdown to Camp series and it has pictures!


MacK started the year on the third line, playing between McGinn and PAP. This line looked like it would flourish, especially against teams with shallower depth. Injuries happened.... yada yada yada.... you know the rest. MacK was given a larger role and absolutely killed it on the offensive side of the puck. He was sheltered defensively by his linemates but will look to take more of the defensive burden as (presumably) our second line center, most likely flanked by Landy and (blank). He was outstanding after he learned a bit of the NHL game and showcased glimpses of the projected dominance that we will hopefully continue to see.


Will the new Buff MacK be able to continue to be shifty and use his speed game to take over the play? Can he really have become faster out of the gate? Who will flank his right side? Tangs? Iggy? Berra? Will he be able to take on the added defensive burden that comes with being a center at this level? What sort of point totals can we expect to see this year?

Click to read more...

 

[Avsboy]

Aww yeah

 

[IndustryLeech]

I'm so pumped for the upcoming season I can barely stand it.

 

[Avs71]

Would not be surprised if he is the Avs best player by the end of the season.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Would not be surprised if he is the Avs fattest player by the end of the season.

Fixed that for you ;p

 

[Avs71]

Fixed that for you ;p

As long as he doesn't get puffy nipples like Ryan Johansen then it is fine.

 

[Freudian]

While he wasn't particularly sheltered as a rookie, playing with Stastny/Landeskog probably made the jump to NHL easier. Now he'll be under more pressure to make things happen on his line. Hope he's ready to take another step.

 

[InjuredChoker]

he's likely peaked already.

 

[Taak19]

That thread on the main board has me picturing a very obese MacKinnon.

 

[Foppa2118]

That thread on the main board has me picturing a very obese MacKinnon.

I was amazed by two things after scanning that thread.

1) The amount of fitness "experts" there are on HF.

and

2) 99% of the posts in the thread were about Nate's body and not Vanessa Morgan.

 

[Avsboy]

I'm always surprised by the knowledge and resourcefulness of HF posters. They are all fitness experts, legal analysts, and medical doctors.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I'm always surprised by the knowledge and resourcefulness of HF posters. They are all fitness experts, legal analysts, and medical doctors.

You forgot to mention practitioners of the black art known as Oxford Commas.

 

[Flanagan]

That thread on the main board has me picturing a very obese MacKinnon.

 

[Taak19]

That's creepy.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Crosby said the wrist is fine now. He trained a lot with Nate MacKinnon this summer and got in shape chasing him around the ice.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

https://twitter.com/cotsonika

Nate MacKinnon said he put on 12 to 13 pounds of muscle this summer. He's at 208 with the same 6- or 7-percent body fat.

 

[henchman21]

https://twitter.com/cotsonika

Nonsense! Source: Main Board

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

More praise, this time from Bob McKenzie...

http://www.nicholsonhockey.com/worthreading/2014/9/9/mckenzie-skys-the-limit-for-avs-mackinnon

“I think sky’s the limit... it’s funny. I mean, he’s still junior-age, or whatever, and I just feel like Nathan MacKinnon can be one of the very best players in the game. And I realize he’s very young and you don’t want to burden anybody with expectations that are too great, but what we saw of him in the playoffs and he just took off... and all the reports I’ve gotten this summer is physically he’s becoming a beast. That he’s really getting a lot stronger. He’s physically maturing. He’s already got dynamic speed and strength, but I think the workouts that he’s done this year with Andy O’Brien and working with Sidney Crosby and Matt Duchene and all of those guys that time in Vail, Colorado in the off-season, I think he’s even going to take another quantum leap forward from what we saw in the playoffs.

“Again, you hate with a 19 going on 20-year-old kid to put unrealistic expectations on him, and there’s going to be some ups and downs to his game, but I think he’s got the tools to be one of the most exciting, most dynamic players in the game and I won’t be surprised if he plays like a prime time guy that’s one of the top 1-15 guys in the National Hockey League this year.â€

 

[henchman21]

More praise, this time from Bob McKenzie...

http://www.nicholsonhockey.com/worthreading/2014/9/9/mckenzie-skys-the-limit-for-avs-mackinnon

What is crazy here is that Bob is 100% correct. He has just an amazingly bright future.

 

[Avs_19]

You can listen to that interview here (starts around 7:10): http://iphone.tsn.ca/tsnpodcasts/TD_BobMcKenzie_Sept9.mp3

I had a big grin on my face while listening to him talk about MacKinnon. So damn excited for what's to come.

Best part of that interview:

“Yeah, I think this kid’s going to be even better than a lot of people – and we all thought he was going to be great – and we all remember once was it him or Seth Jones, and they’re both great - but I just think this guy’s got an extra gear that will put him in that same sort of level as Stamkos bordering on Crosby because of the dynamic speed and strength, the offensive ability.

 

[freeboy]

Exciting times to b a fan of a Hockey and a fan of Avs
When other teams fans comment on how fun he is to watch it's music to my ears!

 

[Avsboy]

I'm just thinking about tanking and getting McDavid. Regression and all.

 

[Avs_19]

With him being bigger, stronger, and even more explosive, I might have to revise that 35-40 goals prediction. Might be too low.

 

[Foppa2118]

You know I think we're all trying not to get too carried away with our expectations, but given how young he was last year, and how quick of a learner he is, maybe he does make a jump to elite numbers early in his career like Stamkos.

A lot of it will come down to chemistry on his line. Landy is basically a lock as his winger spending most of last year on his line, and never really having great chemistry with Duchene.

Nate needs a puck distributor on his line though and while Landy is a little underrated in that department, it's not really his game. That's why chambers essentially making up that Iggy will be the RWer is a little silly, because that's not really his game either.

Tanguay is the perfect fit. He needs a guy that can find him with a tape to tape pass in flight in the neutral zone, or a cross ice in the zone, or pass from down low to him as he darts into a hole.

If that line clicks and they stay healthy, maybe he surprises even us. Given his off season the writing certainly is on the wall a bit.

 

[viach]

Plz

I am going to buy a MacKinnon Jersey. Do you think he will change his jersey number for #22 this year ?

Thanks