The NHL has named 32 players to the All-Star roster tonight and the Colorado Avalanche have 3 players going. Nathan MacKinnon has officially made the roster, while Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen will be more than likely on the 12 player vote. Save the date: February 3rd is when Toronto will host the All-Star game this season.
MacKinnon
This will be MacKinnon’s seventh All-Star game in his impressive 11 year career. Fans selected MacKinnon to lead the Central Division as captain twice in 2019 and 2020. He has been having a career year as he put together a 19-game point streak that just ended recently. With 56 points during the point streak, he rose to second place in the league. He is also on pace to have an amazing 131 points by the end of the season, 20 more than his highest year in 2022–2023.
Nathan MacKinnon (@Avalanche) is the first player in 35 years to record a point in each of his team’s first 20+ home games of a season.
The last guy to do it? Wayne Gretzky in 1988-89, when he found the scoresheet in all 40 Kings home games.#NHLStats: https://t.co/M3bpZmUWWl pic.twitter.com/ETnGlNgfGI
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 3, 2024
Fans could have the chance to vote on the remaining 12 players to make the roster soon. Those players will more than likely be Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen for the Avalanche.
Rantanen
This could be Rantanen’s fourth game in nine years. One of the most memorable was 2019, when he was on the same line as MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. Rantanen himself has been on a roll lately with 16 points in 11 games. There has been a little of drama as Artturi Lehkonen’s father called out Rantanen for his offseason training routine and they exchanged words via the media. Rantanen is on pace for another career year in which he will break the century mark in consecutive years with 101 points.
Mikko Rantanen has six goals in seven games since being called out by Artturi Lehkonen's dad #Avs pic.twitter.com/fNo0vuKfvu
— Ryan Sikes (@ryan_sikes10) December 28, 2023
Makar
The former Norris Trophy winning defenseman Cale Makar has gone to the All-Star game the last two years. Fans consider Makar being one of the best, if not the best defensemen in the game at the moment. He changes the way the forwards have to attack him with unique skating style and puck handling skills. He is second in the league in points for a defenseman with 44 points behind Quinn Hughs of the Vancouver Canucks. But Makar has done it four fewer games than Hughes. Makar is on pace to break 100 points this season for the first time in his career after only getting 86 in the Stanley Cup year.
Cale Makar moves. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/9pJzCHL1rL
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 28, 2023
The Avalanche are at a point where they are putting together consistent talent in the club. Some players deserve recognition like Valeri Nichushkin, who has exploded since coming to Colorado. Another player that deserves an honorable mention would be Devon Toews. His scoresheet may show that he does not score often, but his shut down defense is something to behold. Unfortunately, not every player can go, despite what some fans think. No matter who attends this year’s event, it is all about the fans and having fun.