Mackinnon, others excited for what’s to come after Brock Nelson trade
Mar 7, 2025, 10:49 AM | Updated: 10:49 am
In the midst of a 7-3 throttling of the San Jose Sharks Thursday night, the Colorado Avalanche front office was focusing on going all-in to win a Stanley Cup, and made a trade with the New York Islanders for Brock Nelson. Nelson, a 33-year-old center, could finally be the elusive second-line center that the Avs have been looking for since Nazem Kadri’s departure in 2022.
After Thursday’s game, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Jared Bednar all spoke about the Nelson trade, and they’re excited for the opportunity to share the ice with him.
“I know Brock [Nelson] from over the years… I’m really excited, he’s an amazing player and I’m really happy,” MacKinnon said postgame.
MacKinnon has ties with Nelson, as the two have the same strength coach and are often at the same camps in the offseason. This small head start from a chemistry standpoint could be very valuable in getting Nelson adjusted to the Colorado system early.
“He’s a huge add,” Bednar said. “Looking at how hard it is come playoff time, when you’re adding a player of Brock’s caliber, center position, big, long, strong, can skate, highly productive, getting better with age… I think it’s an amazing add for the team.”
While MacKinnon and Bednar spoke towards what the Nelson addition meant for the Avalanche on the ice, Makar was more focused on the thought process off the ice.
“It’s awesome from our perspective to see how much faith in us management has and how much they want to win right now,” Makar said.
General manager Chris MacFarland has been a man on a mission recently, and Thursday’s trade showed that he’s not focused on the future as he sent more draft picks and young players out the door.
“It goes back to management,” Makar said. “It’s exciting to see they want to invest in this group, we’ve just got to continue to play well and get better.”
Nelson will be wearing No. 11 for the Avalanche, which was previously worn by Andrew Cogliano last season.
It’s unclear whether or not Nelson will be available for the Avalanche when they host the Maple Leafs tomorrow night, but it is clear that this team is excited to have him and make a push for a fourth Stanley Cup with him leading the second line.
