Why Nathan MacKinnon Is the Player to Turn Colorado Avalanche's Season Around

Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche have dug themselves into a hole early this NHL season, and it'll be up to the young superstar's growth in his second season to get them out.

Colorado was a surprising playoff team under new head coach Patrick Roy last season, and forward MacKinnon was its brightest star. The 2013-14 Calder Cup winner for top rookie, MacKinnon finished last season with 24 goals, 39 assists and 63 points. His postseason put him in the national spotlight, as he anchored the Avalanche with 10 points in seven games. 

However, the Avalanche have sputtered out of the gate this season, sporting a 3-6-5 record, last in the Central Division. The team hasn't looked sharp all the way around, particularly in the defensive end. Its young superstar hasn't fared much better, notching just four assists in the team's first 10 games.

Though MacKinnon has come on lately (4 goals, 1 assist in past four games heading into Wednesday night), he'll need to produce more for his struggling team. Based on what we've seen so far from this superstar, it's hard not to imagine him coming around.

The Avalanche will bounce back, and MacKinnon will lead the charge.

What makes a good player great is when extreme talent meets extreme competitiveness. MacKinnon is a player who won't accept failure and will work hard to constantly better himself.

A recent video of him racing speedskater Charles Hamelin showed just how physically gifted young MacKinnon is.

The immense skills are backed up by a intense spirit for competition, as MacKinnon stated in a recent article by Adrian Dater of The Denver Post.

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I can say I'm just going to go out and play relaxed, but I'm a pretty fiery, competitive guy and I'm sure I'll get frustrated at times and I need to channel that. There's still some extra weight on my shoulders with this team, but now that I've been in the league I know a lot better what to expect.

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One of the troubling things about MacKinnon's slump to start the season has been his lack of goal production, even dating back to last year. As Austin Manak of Fansided.com pointed out, counting only the first 10 games of this season, MacKinnon scored just six goals in his previous 40 games. That's certainly not a fruitful output for a young superstar. 

Developing consistency is something that will come with age for a young player. In fact, as this tweet by Mike Kelly of the NHL Network suggests, the slow start to this season was actually an improvement over last year.

What can't be learned easily, and what MacKinnon is slowly developing, is a patience with the game and the puck. An excellent illustration of this was posted by Harrison Prolic in an article for The Hockey Writers.

MacKinnon gave the New York Islanders a fright on Halloween eve, notching his first two goals of the season. The first one is of particular mention: As chaos ensues in front of the net, MacKinnon has the patience to get the goalie to commit with a few quick dekes, and then go top shelf. As Prolic states, this is a rare display of patience for a player who is in a goal-scoring drought.

MacKinnon is the next big thing for the Avalanche. Colorado is a young team with young players, the 19-year-old MacKinnon being one of them. The young superstar is still developing as a player, and, as such, one should expect some growing pains.

But if there is one thing that is clear, a tough work ethic and fiery competitiveness won't keep the forward down. Once the Avalanche solidify their defense and MacKinnon heats up, they should be back in the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

What do you think Colorado fans? Will the Avalanche make it to the playoffs for a second season under coach Patrick Roy? Will MacKinnon have a better season than last year? Leave your comments and opinions below!

All statistics courtesy of NHL.com.