Nathan MacKinnon really wasn’t a fan of Cale Makar’s 2017 selection

The National Hockey League draft has always been an inexact science, with some teams winning and others losing every year.

However, years later, things can change completely, depending on how certain young prospects develop.

This is why the draft is such an important event for fans, but also for NHL players.

The latter keep a close eye on what their team will do, and therefore on which players it will select, especially when their team drafts in the first round.

The players on these teams want to see their team select a good player to help the team become competitive, because generally, drafting in the first round means that a bad season has just happened.

So sometimes, just like the fans, the players on these teams can be disappointed and very skeptical of the choices made by their management.

Well, that was exactly the case for Nathan MacKinnon, who really wasn’t a fan of Cale Makar’s selection at No. 4ᵉ in the 2017 draft.

Throwing it back to when MacKinnon was NOT happy the Avs drafted Cale Makar pic.twitter.com/mKKvSLzN2t

– Drew Livingstone (@ProducerDrew_) July 19, 2024

MacKinnon explains in this clip that when he saw that the Colorado Avalanche had just selected a player from the AJHL, the Alberta Junior Hockey League, he wasn’t happy.

For MacKinnon, even if Makar looked okay according to his stats and the videos of him, it didn’t change the fact that for him, AJHL players are horrible.

“He plays in the AJHL […] Those guys are horrible.” – Nathan MacKinnon

In short, MacKinnon wasn’t really convinced of this selection, even angry at the time.

Well, three trophies later – a Calder, a Stanley Cup and a Norris – Cale Makar is currently the best defenseman in the entire NHL, much to the delight of Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche.

MacKinnon was wrong to be skeptical, while the Avalanche hit a home run in 2017 by selecting Makar.

It’s not every day you add a defenseman to your team who scores more than a point a game and more than 20 goals a season.

Overtime

– To watch.

ROSTER CHART

Before heading off on vacation without an internet connection, I updated the Montreal roster chart with acquisitions, departures and new rules announced in recent days.

Given that Montreal will probably… pic.twitter.com/21RvODTqte

– Nilton Jorge (@NiltonJorge) July 20, 2024

– We wish him.

Rafael Nadal in the final in Sweden!
The Spaniard will try to get his hands on a 2nd career title in Bastad, 19 years after his first, having beaten Tomas Berdych in 2005! pic.twitter.com/Gfp4LDRNBD

– RDS (@RDSca) July 20, 2024