Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon named Ted Lindsay Award finalist

The NHLPA announced that Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is one of three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award. Tampa Bay Lighting winger Nikita Kucherov and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews are also in the running for the award.

The Ted Lindsay Award is given to “the most outstanding player in the NHL” and is voted on by members of the NHLPA.

This is MacKinnon’s third time being nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award (2017-18 and 2019-20). In both those seasons, he fell short, so he will be looking to secure his first career Ted Lindsay Award from here.

MacKinnon, 28, had a sensational season for the Avalanche. In 82 games, he posted new career highs with 51 goals, 89 assists, 140 points, and a plus-35 rating. He was also by far the NHL’s most consistent player, having at least one point in a league-leading 69 games this season.

Nathan MacKinnon © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

MacKinnon also made history this season, becoming the first player in NHL history to record two 19-game point streaks in one campaign. He also posted a 35-game home point streak, the second longest in NHL history.

Needless to say, there is a lot on MacKinnon’s side to secure the Ted Lindsay Award. However, Kucherov and Matthews also had outstanding seasons, so the competition should be very close.

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