Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nathan MacKinnon Hints Change Coming After Avalanche Collapse

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated May 4, 2025 12:26 PM ET

Following the Colorado Avalanche’s stunning Game 7 collapse against the Dallas Stars, franchise cornerstone and NHL superstar Nathan MacKinnon didn’t dance around the idea that there would be a change in Colorado. His raw assessment of the team’s elimination in their first-round series foreshadows significant changes ahead for the team.

“They’re missing their best D & maybe their best forward… and we still couldn’t beat them. I don’t know what we’re gonna do,” MacKinnon said in a blunt postgame assessment. He was clearly upset after his former teammate Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars stormed back and ousted the Avs. The 4-2 loss ended Colorado’s playoff run, and he added, “I’m in shock, to be honest with you…This is the worst loss of my career.”

Considering MacKinnon is 0-5 in Game 7s, that’s saying a lot.

What are the Avalanche and MacKinnon Going to Do This Summer?

The Avalanche were up 2-0 in the third period before surrendering four unanswered goals, including a hat trick from Rantanen. The devastating finish marked the latest in a string of playoff disappointments for Colorado, which hasn’t made it past the second round since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022.

MacKinnon, who finished the season with 116 points and scored all three of Colorado’s power-play goals in the series, is now 0-5 in Game 7s. Meanwhile, Dallas boasted five different power-play scorers during the series, exposing a major weakness in Colorado’s special teams.

Rantanen, traded to Dallas in a blockbuster deal earlier this year, torched his former team with four points in the third period alone — for the second straight game. The trade is already under heavy scrutiny and will haunt the Avalanche the farther the Stars go in the postseason.

“There’s no sugar-coating this collapse,” reporter Mark Lazerus wrote — and MacKinnon didn’t try to. His tone and words suggest change may be inevitable, whether that involves coaching, roster moves, or front office decisions. Lazerus also noted:

“The Avalanche were dramatically remade and reinvigorated ahead of the trade deadline, with MacFarland aggressively adding the center depth they’ve lacked (Brock Nelson, Charlie Coyle and Jack Drury) and the goaltending (Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood) they’ve needed. Landeskog was on his way back.”

The Avalanche are not expected to fire head coach Jared Bednar. “MacFarland isn’t going anywhere, either,” writes Lazerus. MacKinnon and Cale Makar may be the only sure things.

Nelson is unlikely to return as he didn’t work out as a trade deadline acquisition. As for what other roster changes are made, there could be big shifts. For a team not afraid to shake things up during the season, they’ll likely be open to every conversation imaginable during the summer.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: