The Colorado Avalanche haven’t exactly proved that they’re willing to pull out their wallets when it comes to keeping their young stars in town — just ask Paul Stastny and Ryan O’Reilly. And whether letting those guys walk was the right decision or not, it definitely hasn’t sat well with a lot of Avalanche fans.
In the coming months and years, though, they’ll have a chance to redeem themselves, if they choose to.
As most everybody knows, Matt Duchene is nearing the end of his contract, and the Avalanche will have to make a decision on his future sooner than later. If they already know they’re going to move on from Duchene at one point or another, they may want to expedite the process and make sure they get something worthwhile in return, especially while he’s playing as well as he is. If they believe he’s a cornerstone of their franchise going forward, they should probably extend him now before he becomes worth more than you have.
And the same will be true for Nathan MacKinnon sooner than we think. Luckily, he’s already made it clear he wants to be in the burgundy and blue for a long time.
Nathan MacKinnon looking for long-term extension from Avs when contract up (not bridge): "I want to be here (COL) for a long time"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 17, 2015
After having an absolutely stellar rookie season, scoring 63 points on 24 goals and 39 assists, MacKinnon’s production fell off in an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, with just 28 points on the season.
This year, though, MacKinnon is already back on his freshman pace and then some. In fact, if he keeps up this level of production through a full season, MacKinnon would finish with with 91 points, which would have led the NHL last season.
And honestly, if the Avs have to make a decision between MacKinnon and Duchene in the long term, I don’t even think it’s much of a question; you want MacKinnon. He’s the one player on this team that has the talent to be the best player in the league; you don’t let that walk away, even if it costs you an arm and a leg.
But what do you think? If the Avs had to choose between the two, who do you keep? Or do the Avs need to find a way to keep both? Let us know in the comments.