Is This Avalanche Player The Most Valuable Player Of Colorado's Season Thus Far?

The Avalanche have had many important contributors this season. But there's a particular Avs player who's made a case as the team's MVP this year. So, who's Colorado's real MVP?

The Colorado Avalanche have numerous players who've helped them get to where they are this season. But one player in particular has a solid case as the Avs' most valuable player this year. Let's explore who that is, and decid who is Colorado's true MVP.

The player we're talking about here is goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. Now, before you get too angry as you tout superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar as the Avalanche's MVP, let's look at Blackwood's impact on the team.

Before Blackwood was acquired on Dec. 9 and before he played his first game in a Colorado uniform Dec. 14, the Avs were a mediocre team with a 17-14-0 record. Since then, they've gone 17-8-2 -- and Blackwood has posted a 14-6-2 record, a .922 save percentage, and a 2.13 goals-against average. He's been the workhorse Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland hoped for when he acquired him, and the massive contract extension Blackwood signed shortly after he was acquired is now looking like a great deal for the Avs. Blackwood has given his teammates a chance to win every game that he plays, and without him, Colorado might well be out of the playoff picture in the highly-competitive Central Division.

That said, we're not ready to annoint Blackwood as the Avalanche's MVP. He deserves to be in the conversation for that honor, but let's be serious here -- the Avs live and die based on how dominant MacKinnon and Makar really are. MacKinnon leads all NHLers in assists, with 66 helpers in 57 games -- nine more assists than the next-best assist-producer. And MacKinnon leads all NHLers in points, with 87. MacKinnon is also a minute-muncher, averaging an NHL-best 23:03 of ice time per game -- nearly one minute more than the next-most-utilized NHL forward.

Meanwhille, Makar is currently second in NHL defensemen in minutes (among NHL D-men who've played a full season), averaging 25:49 per game. And Makar leads all blueliners in goals (22) and points (63) in 57 games. He's right there with Vancouver's Quinn Hughes as the front-runner for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defesemen.

With all that said, the label of Avs MVP is a toss-up between MacKinnon and Makar. With due respect to Blackwood, MacKinnon and Makar's dominance has been on another level this season, and that should be reflected in any award Blackwood is in the mix for. Yes, the Avs have needed Blackwood to be where they are in the standings, but if you take away Makar or MacKinnon from the Avalanche's attack, you'll have a team that isn't nearly the threat they are right now.

If we're talking about the NHL's best trade this season, the Blackwood deal has to be mentioned. MacFarland only gave up goalie Alexandar Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2026 second-round draft pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder for Blackwood. That's a huge heist for Colorado, which now has its goaltending picture locked up for the forseeable future.

You have to give credit to Blackwood for coming into a high-pressure situation and thriving right away. But when you're playing behind two true icons in MacKinnon and Makar, it's all but impossible to be named the MVP of the team. 

Blackwood deserves a lot of credit for the Avalanche's success this season, but when it comes to the Avs' MVP, it's clearly MacKinnon and Makar who should be the proper choice. You can't go wrong with either one, and you have to believe the dynamic duo will be just as valuable for the rest of this season and beyond.

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