On October 7, 2025, Nathan MacKinnon entered the season tied with Joe Sakic for the most points in Colorado Avalanche team history.
With a second-period assist on a Martin Necas goal against the Los Angeles Kings, MacKinnon became the all-time point leader in Avalanche franchise history. But there's an important distinction. Sakic played his first seven NHL seasons with the Quebec Nordiques. Add those numbers to his total and the franchise record isn't 1,015. It's 1,641.
| Player |
GP |
Goals |
Assists |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Sakic |
1,378 |
625 |
1,016 |
1,641 |
| Nathan MacKinnon |
950 |
420 |
722 |
1,142 |
MacKinnon needs 499 points to pass Sakic for the all-time point record in Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche history. MacKinnon is 428 games behind Sakic, which means if MacKinnon reached 1.642 within his next 428 games, he'd actually pass Sakic's franchise record in fewer games than Sakic played.
MacKinnon's last four seasons have seen him score 127, 116, 140, and 111 points, respectively. Last season was his fourth consecutive 110-point season, and his 53 goals earned him his first Rocket Richard Trophy. That's 494 points over those four seasons. MacKinnon essentially needs to replicate the last four years of his career one more time.
If MacKinnon averages 125 points: 499/25=3.99 seasons
He would catch Sakic in four years.
At 110 points: 499/110=4.54 seasons
That would be roughly halfway through a fifth season.
At 100 points: 499/100=4.99 seasons
That's almost exactly five seasons.
At 90 points: 499/90=5.54 seasons
It would take well into a sixth season.
MacKinnon turned 31 yesterday so maintaining his current 120-plus-point production into his mid-30s is a much different proposition than doing it at 27-30 years of age.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
MacKinnon is entering the fourth season of the eight-year contract he signed with the Avalanche in 2022. So barring a stunning development, he's going to have several more seasons in an Avalanche sweater.
That means the question isn't really whether he'll have the opportunity to chase Sakic , it's whether he can maintain enough production as he moves deeper into his 30s. The biggest opponent standing between MacKinnon and Sakic isn't another player. It's time.
At age 30, he played in 80 games, scored 53 goals and 127 points. That's not a player desperately hanging onto his prime. He's still smack dab in the middle of it. Sakic is currently sitting as 11th all-time scorer in NHL history. MacKinnon isn't just chasing a franchise record, but he's also chasing one of the greatest offensive players in NHL history.
MacKinnon currently has 420 goals and 722 assists so he's behind Sakic by 205 goals, 294 assists, and 499 points. The point record is probably more attainable than either individual category, depending on how MacKinnon's game evolves as he ages.
If MacKinnon can duplicate the last four seasons, he'll be there around age 35. Of course, asking any NHL player to produce another 500 points after his 30th birthday is asking a lot. Sakic's 1,641 once looked untouchable. MacKinnon has spent much of his career making untouchable numbers look tangible.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/avalanche/onsi as Can Nathan MacKinnon Catch Joe Sakic Atop the Avalanche Record Book? .
