This is the obvious one. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 68 points, seven more than Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl in second place. Also of note, he’s first in points per game at 1.58, narrowly ahead of the Art Ross winner last season, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov at 1.57.

NHL showdown in Winnipeg, Manitoba with the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Colorado Avalanche at Canada Life Centre. Welcome to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey, where each day we preview and predict the upcoming slate of NHL games around the league!

- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is shown in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in Denver. Makar is back in concussion protocol after taking contact to his head for the second time in under two weeks,

Hellebuyck has earned a shutout in three straight regular season meetings with Colorado. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner had 35 saves in a 1-0 win on Nov. 7 and 30 saves in a 7-0 win on April 13. He is 15-7-4 with five shutouts in 26 regular-season games against the Avalanche, including 8-1-0 in his past nine.

If Colorado has another trip to Winnipeg this season, it will be during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Avalanche will have to hope it can find its mojo from the 2024 postseason.