Nathan MacKinnon's reaction to the Avs drafting Cale Makar in 2017 was shocking; bet he's glad he was wrong
Heading into the Stanley Cup Final, Nathan MacKinnon said Cale Makar might be the best player in the league right now. One can make a pretty convincing argument that he might be right. Makar does Connor McDavid things from the blue line and can change the complexion of a game in a single shift. The 4th overall pick in 2017 has quickly become a superstar and Norris Trophy candidate.
Back in 2017 however, MacKinnon's opinion of Makar was just a little different. On Nova Scotia's local High Button Sports podcast, MacKinnon had no idea who Makar was at the time of the draft, saying "we got this kid from the Alberta Junior A League.. like what is this? Who did we just draft? He looks okay, but these guys suck."
It's safe to say that MacKinnon's take on Makar from 2017 was a massive miss. A couple of seasons in the NCAA helped Makar reach his potential, allowing him to ultimately burst onto the scene during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now a Norris Trophy candidate and one of the best players in the NHL at just 23 years old, Mackinnon is grateful Sakic picked Makar 4th overall. I'd imagine he's never been so happy to have been wrong in his life.
