Nathan MacKinnon had been a Hart Trophy nominee for 24 hours when, one afternoon last week, he leaned forward in a chair at the Colorado Avalanche's practice facility and flashed a scarcely perceptible smile. If his brilliance on the ice this season was enough to establish his MVP case, he still wanted to make a point about his team - the best for which he's played, in his estimation, since he arrived to revive the franchise as the No. 1 draft pick in 2013.

"I think our record speaks for itself," MacKinnon said on a Zoom conference call with reporters. "We're (two points) out of first in the West with a hurt team all season. I think when our team's healthy, we've lost one or two games all year."

Pedants and doubters could quibble with the significance of that last remark. The Avalanche were almost never healthy in 2019-20, so it's understandable that a small sample would produce few defeats. Yet it's also easy to grasp the transcendent 24-year-old center's logic. Except for MacKinnon, every member of Colorado's core - from Gabriel Landeskog to Mikko Rantanen to Cale Makar to Philipp Grubauer - missed extended time because of injury, often in tandem, and the Avs didn't falter. Imagine what they could do as a group at full bore.

The Avalanche's first genuine Stanley Cup contender of the MacKinnon era is fit and itching to steal the show in the NHL's bubbled playoff tournament. Not since Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg's overlapping heyday has an Avs team been this equipped to go deep. If Vancouver's Quinn Hughes doesn't win the Calder Trophy, Makar will. Even in a regular season cut short by the coronavirus, MacKinnon's 93 points in 69 games were just shy of his career high. Together they form the foundation of a potential juggernaut.

The Western Conference, winnowed to 12 remaining teams, offers a huge challenge for Colorado. The defending champion St. Louis Blues seem as safe a pick as any to return to the Cup Final. They've been there before, as have the Vegas Golden Knights, a phenomenal puck-possession team whose .606 points percentage - third in the Western Conference behind the Blues (.662) and Avalanche (.657) - probably understates the threat they pose. The fourth-place Dallas Stars conceded the fewest goals (2.52 per game) in the conference. No other dark-horse Cup candidate can match Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's Edmonton Oilers in star power.

With MacKinnon and Rantanen signed long term, stud prospects in the pipeline, and the cap space to accommodate a raise for Makar next summer, Colorado appears primed to surpass each of those teams and run the West for years to come. That forecast might not even have to wait till 2021, though. Hockey Reference's Simple Rating System judged the Avalanche to be the conference's best team this season, the product of finishing in the top five league-wide in offense and defense despite that rash of important absences.

This point bears repeating: None of the aforementioned stars are hurt anymore. Suffice to say they're excited for the round robin to begin Sunday in Edmonton.

"We have no weaknesses," MacKinnon said.

"I came (into Colorado) a couple years before Nate," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said, "so we've been through the same lineups and the same teams, and I don't think we've ever seen a stronger lineup than this in our tenure here. I think we're just scratching the surface on what we can do."

The last time Colorado reached a conference final was in 2002, the year after Sakic, Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay, and Patrick Roy led a stacked roster to the club's second Stanley Cup title. (You might recall that Ray Bourque, then 40 and on the verge of retiring without a Cup, was also on the team.) The Avalanche's next 16 seasons produced as many first-round series victories as top-five draft picks - four each, characteristic of their swing between fleetingly good, wretched, and the mucky ground in between. (A fifth high pick, last year's No. 4 choice Bowen Byram, arrived in the system as the result of a trade with Ottawa. More on him later.)

Following three straight down seasons early in MacKinnon's career, the last few have looked increasingly promising under head coach Jared Bednar. Colorado started 2019-20 hot with seven wins in eight games, but the injury onslaught began in the ninth contest when Rantanen toe-picked and twisted his left ankle, and it never abated. Rantanen sat out for 16 games; so did Landeskog starting five nights later. Makar missed eight games in December and five in March. Rantanen (again), Grubauer, Nazem Kadri, and Andre Burakovsky had each been shelved with various ailments for weeks when the regular season was suspended on March 12.

Colorado's savior was MacKinnon, who wound up registering 43 more points than his closest teammate, Makar, due to these circumstances and his own dominance. MacKinnon scored in bunches, such as the 24 points he supplied in the 14 games that Rantanen and Landeskog both missed in the fall. He scored beautifully, as when he burned three Canucks defenders on an end-to-end rush and potted a wrister in overtime. His 318 shots were the most in the NHL. Draisaitl and Artemi Panarin - MacKinnon's fellow Hart and Ted Lindsay Award finalists - had splendid seasons, but couldn't elevate their teams to the same heights in less adverse situations.

"It's tough when you're missing six, seven guys who are usually in the lineup, and then you have to kind of carry the team," Rantanen said. "Guys did a really good job stepping in, but he was the horse leading the army."

Among those contributors who pitched in were four offseason acquisitions brought in by Sakic, now the Avalanche's longtime general manager, to replenish the forward ranks: Burakovsky (a 20-goal scorer for the first time), Kadri, Joonas Donskoi, and Valeri Nichushkin. Colorado is deeper offensively and much stronger defensively than in years past, aided in the latter category by the sterling play of goalies Grubauer and 30-year-old rookie Pavel Francouz. The Avs posted this season's third-best team save percentage (.932) at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. Obliged to handle a month's worth of starts when Grubauer was hurt in a Feb. 15 outdoor game, Francouz excelled in his longest stretch as an NHL No. 1, winning eight of 12 appearances.

Splitting time against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, Grubauer and Francouz combined to make 32 saves as the Avs won their lone tune-up game in Edmonton 3-2. Which goalie will start beyond the round robin remains undecided, and Bednar has classified the question as a good problem to have.

"We haven't accomplished anything yet," Landeskog said. "But at the same time, there's no reason for us not to feel confident going into (the playoffs), knowing that we have 20-plus guys that are out here and can really contribute."

Stars coach Rick Bowness recently told NHL Network that he considers the Avalanche the hardest team to beat in the West, citing their abundant speed and skill as a major edge in this accelerated restart. That combination is the expected product of a squad's elite players skewing young - compared to MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar, Landeskog is an old head at age 27 - and it only figures to intensify. As soon as next year, the Avs' defense could feature Makar, Samuel Girard (already a top-four mainstay at 22), and Byram and Conor Timmins, celebrated prospects who both made the 31-player bubble roster. Alex Newhook, college hockey's rookie of the year in 2019-20, should follow shortly at center.

Keeping this core intact under the salary cap - Colorado had more than $5 million in space when the season ended, per CapFriendly - is attainable because of MacKinnon's criminally team-friendly deal, which he signed in 2016 before his ascent to megastardom at an average annual value of $6.3 million. St. Louis and Vegas, those other incumbent Western powers, are up against the cap with much older cores. MacKinnon is inked at that price through 2022-23, providing three years of runway beyond this postseason to solidify a renewed Avs reign.

Not that MacKinnon is in the mood to wait. On his Zoom call before the Avalanche departed for Edmonton, his MVP nomination already bagged, he praised his teammates for uplifting him on the ice this season and for their closeness as a group. He thought about what's attainable right now, with competitive games afoot again and this roster finally at full health.

He scored against the Wild on Wednesday, off another solo rush, fewer than five minutes into the unofficial start to his playoffs.

"To leave a legacy, you have to win," MacKinnon said. "That's not what I'm really looking to do, leave a legacy, but I want to win with these guys."

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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Since the Hockey Diversity Alliance formed a bit over a month ago, Evander Kane says the group has been unable to find common ground with the NHL in its discussions.

"The NHL can put ‘Black Lives Matter’ all over the rink, shout ‘Black Lives Matter’ from the mountains,” the San Jose Sharks forward said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. "No matter what they do or say, it’s all going to fall on deaf ears with me and every other person in the HDA because the league has made no effort to support its own Black players.”

Kane, Akim Aliu, Trevor Daley, Anthony Duclair, Matt Dumba, Nazem Kadri, Wayne Simmonds, Chris Stewart, and Joel Ward all helped create the organization.

The HDA has presented ways the league can help the cause to the NHL over the past few weeks, but they have yet to agree on anything, and discussions remain ongoing, Kane said.

The 28-year-old added that the HDA and NHL met over a Zoom call on Wednesday and that it was "pretty hostile at times."

Kane criticized the league's upcoming #WeSkateFor initiative that will roll out when games resume on Aug. 1. The NHL's plan revolves around several issues and causes that encompass the Black community, LGBTQ community, frontline workers, and many others.

"We support all of those issues and we always have. But this is the NHL’s campaign to talk about our issue," Kane added.

"They’re trying to wrap all of these separate issues – including mental health, LGTBQ, women’s rights, everything – into one when our message is about racism. It completely yet again misses the mark and is so out of touch with what we’re talking about."

The NHL's senior vice president of social impact Kim Davis responded to this by saying, "Until you see how the treatment of anti-racism and ‘Black Lives’ actually rolls out on Saturday, it’s probably premature to judge how effectively we deliver the message, and whether we’ve ‘missed the mark.'"

Earlier on Thursday the HDA released a video that included a number of star athletes from across all sports leagues such as Patrick Mahomes, Brooks Koepka, and Connor McDavid expressing their support for the organization:

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Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand left his team's exhibition game against the Columbus Blue Jackets early Thursday after hitting Zach Werenski along the boards. The incident occurred near the end of the third period, and he did not return.

“He left. I don’t think it’s anything serious,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said, according to MassLive's Matt Vautour. “But we’ll have a better idea in the morning.”

The Bruins will take on the Philadelphia Flyers in their first round-robin game on Sunday. Marchand racked up 28 goals and 87 points in 70 games this season.

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The AHL plans to start its 2020-21 season later than usual.

At the recommendation of the AHL's Return to Play Task Force, the board of governors approved moving the anticipated start date to Dec. 4, the league announced Thursday.

Further specifics have not yet been determined. The league added it will continue to work with clubs to monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities.

The AHL paused its season March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently canceled its Calder Cup playoffs.

The league campaign customarily begins in the first week of October.

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie admitted he wasn't at his best during the first season with his new team, but he believes the postseason represents an excellent opportunity to show what he's capable of.

"I'm really glad we're getting a chance to come back and play. I feel like I've got more to offer and it's a good chance for me to show it," Barrie told reporters Thursday, per TSN. "I feel pretty comfortable right now with my game, all things considered. It'll be a bit of a bizarre one to jump right into playoffs after so much time off, but like you said, it's a good opportunity to make up for a bit of an up-and-down season for sure."

The 2019-20 campaign was a tale of two seasons for Barrie. He struggled to find his footing under Mike Babcock but really hit his stride after Sheldon Keefe took over behind the bench.

With multiple injuries to Toronto's blue line this season, Barrie was sometimes playing over 25 minutes per night, but he's projected to start the postseason on the third pairing with Travis Dermott. He will also quarterback the club's vaunted No. 1 power-play unit alongside Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.

The 29-year-old was acquired last offseason from the Colorado Avalanche along with Alexander Kerfoot as part of a blockbuster trade in exchange for Nazem Kadri. Barrie, though, is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. With only $4.6 million in projected cap space, the Leafs would have to get creative in order to bring him back.

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The Vancouver Canucks and starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom will put contract negotiations aside until the postseason is finished, general manager Jim Benning said Wednesday.

"I've got a good relationship with Jacob, and you know we talked again yesterday," Benning told Sportsnet, according to NHL.com. "We're going to get something figured out for him. We both decided let's just wait until after the playoffs are done.

"We'll sit down with his agent Pat Morris and with Jacob and we'll get something figured out. We want to keep him on the team. He's been a good goalie for us here the last couple of years and a big part of the team."

Markstrom is coming off a career-best season, going 23-16-4 with a .918 save percentage, a 2.75 goals-against average, and 11.4 goals saved above average. However, the 30-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent.

Even with the cap ceiling staying at $81.5 million, the Canucks still project to hold over $17 million in space. Forwards Tyler Toffoli (UFA) and Jake Virtanen (RFA), as well as defensemen Chris Tanev (UFA) and Troy Stecher (RFA) will be up for new contracts too. Additionally, key building blocks Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will be due for significant raises after next season.

Benning also needs to be mindful of the 2021 Seattle expansion draft. The team can only protect one goalie, so the Canucks could lose Markstrom (if he's re-signed) or the 24-year-old Thatcher Demko to the future division-rival Kraken.

But for now, the present is of the utmost importance, and the Canucks begin their qualifying-round series against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, when they'll rely on Markstrom.

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The eighth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the ninth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets in a best-of-five qualifying series to advance to Round 1 of the playoffs.

The Jackets are coming off their first playoff series win - a stunning sweep of the historically great Tampa Bay Lightning a year ago. The Leafs, meanwhile, haven't won a series since 2004 after losing in the opening round in each of the last three years.

While these teams are very evenly matched, the styles of play here are vastly different, making it a fascinating series to break down.

Schedule

*If necessary

Tale of the tape

Key players to watch

John Tavares

Statistically, Tavares produced a solid season, tallying 26 goals and 60 points over 63 games. But he looked sluggish throughout the campaign while perhaps battling a nagging injury. He also became a father right before the season, which could've potentially added to his fatigue.

Ideally, the five months off served Tavares well, and he emerges looking rejuvenated. If he returns to his 2018-19 form - when he scored a career-high 47 goals - the Leafs' chances of advancing deep into the playoffs will increase significantly. If he struggles to keep up with the pace (foot speed was never his forte, after all), that will be both a short- and long-term problem.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

Dubois' hands will be full against the Leafs. As the Blue Jackets' No. 1 center, he'll likely be tasked with shutting down either Auston Matthews' or Tavares' line. Additionally, Dubois needs to lead Columbus' stagnant offensive attack.

The 22-year-old led the Jackets with a mere 49 points this season. If his line with Alexandre Texier and Oliver Bjorkstrand doesn't produce, Columbus will need to make this a very low-scoring series to take down the juggernaut Leafs.

Maple Leafs can win if ...

They limit turnovers. The Leafs prioritize puck possession more than any NHL team, often circling back and regrouping to get the breakout they like. But that occasionally leads to a defensive-zone turnover. They don't need to change how they play, but sometimes in dire circumstances, Toronto needs to forget about making a cute pass and just get the puck out.

The Leafs are the more talented team on paper, and they should come out on top if the club doesn't gift Columbus glorious scoring chances. The Blue Jackets aren't a good offensive squad, so the Leafs need to make them earn their opportunities.

Additionally, Frederik Andersen - a notoriously slow starter to begin seasons - needs to be sharp right away. His counterpart has outplayed Andersen in each of Toronto's first-round exits over the past three years. He's logged far more experience than both of Columbus' goalies, so there's no reason why he can't outshine Elvis Merzlikins or Joonas Korpisalo.

Blue Jackets can win if ...

They disrupt Toronto's flow. The Blue Jackets are a physical, hard-working team that clogs up the middle of the ice. If they stay patient and frustrate the Leafs, Columbus should create some turnovers and generate scoring chances in transition.

On the back end, Merzlikins will need to come up with huge stops on chances from high-danger areas. He's certainly capable of standing on his head and showed that during his stretch of five shutouts in eight games this season. Some of the game's most talented shooters will be testing him, so he'll need to be at his best.

Lastly, head coach John Tortorella is among the best motivators in sports. His players were ready to run through a wall after Torts' epic pregame speech before the opening game of last year's playoffs. Tortorella's experience can give Columbus a big advantage behind the bench, as Toronto's Sheldon Keefe has coached just 47 career NHL games.

X-factors

Nick Robertson

The 18-year-old is primed to make his NHL debut in Game 1 of the qualifying round. A second-round pick in last year's draft, Robertson led the OHL with 55 goals in 46 games this past season. He didn't look out of place during Toronto's exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, collecting an assist and leading all Leafs skaters in expected goals for percentage.

If the 5-foot-9 sniper can bring an impact presence to the team's third line alongside Alexander Kerfoot and Kasperi Kapanen, Toronto's lineup will be that much deeper and more dangerous. If he struggles, fourth-line caliber Pierre Engvall will likely be forced to move up to the third line, thinning out the team's depth up front.

Oliver Bjorkstrand

Bjorkstrand is the Blue Jackets' most dangerous offensive player. He missed 21 games this season due to an injury (many of the team's key players were sidelined for large chunks), but the winger still led the squad with 21 goals.

We know Seth Jones and Zach Werenski will drive offense from the back end, but someone up front needs to be a difference-maker too. Bjorkstrand isn't a household name, but he could become that player.

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