Kiz: We’ve waited a long time in Colorado for another chance to drink from the Stanley Cup. The current Avalanche team, led by center Nathan MacKinnon, evokes memories of Joe Sakic and the franchise’s glory days. Are the comparisons fair? Let’s start here: Is MacKinnon a better player than Sakic ever was?
Chambers: Not in my book. MacKinnon’s 560 career regular-season points are just slightly more than one-third of Sakic’s 1,641. So Great Nate has a ways to go. But, indeed, the 25-year-old is certainly a great right-shot centerman. In the playoffs, MacKinnon’s 63 career points pale in comparison to Sakic’s club-record 177, but MacKinnon’s points-per-game is becoming legendary.