REPORT: Nathan MacKinnon wants to be the highest paid player in NHL - Is he worth this much?

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Ryan
August 9, 2022 (12:33)

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The Colorado Avalanche this past season finally beat their demons and made it past the second round of the playoffs. Fortunately for them led by superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon and superstar defenceman Cale Makar, they took home the greatest prize in hockey, the Stanley Cup.

MacKinnon is one of the best players in the NHL and is considered by many as the second best forward behind Connor McDavid. You most likely wont see any list of top players in the game that has MacKinnon outside the top 5, and after winning the Stanley Cup, he wants to be paid as a top 5 player as well.

While he has not yet hit 100 points in a season during his career, he has been on pace for it many times, and most likely would have surpassed it if not for injury.

Over the last 6 seasons Mackinnon has been on one of the most team friendly deals a team could ask for. A player that consistently flirts with 100 points was only making $6,300,000 per season. While when he signed this deal he was only a 50 point player, he quickly showed what he was capable of and made this one of the best team deals in league history. He has been consistently applauded for taking such a team friendly discount and for the last few years he claimed that he would take another team friendly deal to remain in Colorado and keep the team together and competitive.

Well, according to Insider Adrian Dater, that sounds like it is no longer the case. Dater revealed on Colorado Hockey Now that apparently MacKinnon's goal is now to become the highest paid player in the NHL.

The player who is currently with the highest AAV (and rightfully so) is Connor McDavid with an AAV of $12,500,000. MacKinnon is currently the 4th highest paid player on his team and is only making $175k more than Nichushkin who just signed a mega deal with the Avalanche.

This is the final season of MacKinnon's current contract, so the Avalanche better be ready to open up their chequebooks because if they aren't willing to make him the highest paid player, someone else definitely will in free agency.