MacKinnon vows to take discount with Avs in contract negotiations

No two ways about it, Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is one of, if not THE, best player in the NHL. 

It’s hard to believe that the kid is only 24 years old given the career he has put up so far, but it’s true. The former 1st overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft is already in his 7th NHL season and… well of course he’s absolutely CRUSHING it. MacKinnon has an incredible 18 goals and 44 points in 27 games so far this season and that’s playing mostly without regular line mates Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.

If MacKinnon keeps up his high level of play he’ll make a strong case to claim the Hart Trophy as league MVP this offseason. Perhaps the most valuable thing about MacKinnon though and something that rarely ever gets discussed when mentioning his name is his contract. Believe it or not MacKinnon earns just $6.3 million against the salary cap until the 2023-24 season. I mean… that might just be the best contract in the entire NHL.

So… the Avs are getting a steal of a deal with Big Mac, right? Surely, MacKinnon is looking for a payday on his next deal, right? Not a chance. This kid is a team player through and through.

Check out MacKinnon’s comments when asked about his contract and his strategy heading into negotiations that are nearly five years away:

Again… what a leader. Did we hear anything like that from big ticket free agents like Mitch Marner, Erik Karlsson or Artemi Panarin this past offseason? Not a chance.