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3 Colorado Avalanche players who might see a performance dip next season feat. Nathan MacKinnon
The Colorado Avalanche have been one of the most consistent teams over the last few seasons, maintaining their position as one of the best in the Western Conference.
That has been due to outstanding individual performances leading to strong seasons, especially when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Last season, the Avalanche saw several players who had impressive performances. That's why this upcoming season, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see some of these players return to Earth.
Let's take a look at three Colorado Avalanche who could regress a bit in the 2024-25 season.
Three Colorado Avalanche who might see a performance dip next season
#3 Casey Middlestadt
Since coming over from Buffalo, Middlestadt has quickly cemented himself as a valuable piece in the Colorado Avalanche’s top-six. His 10 points in 18 games last season, following a trade deadline move, proved that Middlestadt is for real.
Overall, Middlestadt has put up 59 and 57 points in the last two seasons — a spike compared to previous years. Of course, the expectation is that the 25-year-old could take the next step. As the Avs’ second-line center, he could top 70 or even 80 points.
The pressure of performing at that level could affect Middlestadt’s performances, though, leading to a slight regression. Overall, it remains to be seen if Middlestadt is a true top-six center. A solid 2024-25 season would do well to silence his detractors once and for all.
#2 Jonathan Drouin
Drouin had a tremendous bounce-back performance last year. After struggling for four seasons in Montreal, Drouin joined the Avs looking to rekindle his career, and he did just that.
In 79 games, he notched up 19 goals and 56 points. The change of scenery appears to have worked wonders for the 29-year-old. As such, the expectation is for Drouin to build on that success, potentially topping the 20-goal mark for the first time since 2016-17.
However, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Drouin take a slight step back next season. Drouin practically doubled his point totals from 2022-23. That said, there's room to doubt if last year’s renaissance was a one-off.
While fans hope that won’t be the case, there’s always a chance that Drouin could see a dip in his overall numbers next season.
#1 Nathan MacKinnon
MacKinnon was in video game mode for the Colorado Avalanche last season. His 51 goals and 140 points were enough to earn him the Hart Trophy. If there was ever any doubt about his place among the league’s top players, last season’s performances shattered it all.
However, there’s a chance that MacKinnon may have a tough time surpassing last year’s point total. While 100 points seem like a given, topping 50 goals and 140 points could be a tall order.
It's not that he's going to have a poor year. It's just that repeating last year's performance is almost unrealistic. It might be more realistic to expect 40-plus goals and perhaps 100-plus points, making such a great season a slight regression for the reigning league MVP.
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