PK Subban endorses Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon for MVP

One of hockey’s biggest stars is offering his pick for Most Valuable Player.

After the Nashville Predators eliminated the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday with a win in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series, Predators defenseman PK Subban endorsed Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for MVP honors.

“In my opinion he was the best player in the league this year,” said Subban of MacKinnon, according to Joe Rexrode of the Tennessean. “I think for him and what he’s done with this team, a team that’s been up and down since they brought in the new coach [Jared Bednar], he’s done a great job.

“He’s just come into his own, and he’s a phenomenal hockey player. And you know, he’s so tough to handle, so fast and strong and shifty,” Subban added. “My expectations for him as a player is to be a Hall of Famer at the end of his career, and I think he understands that. But just tremendous respect for him, and I told him that I hope he takes home that trophy he deserves as the MVP.”

MacKinnon, who is only 22, finished fifth in the NHL during the season with 97 points (39 goals and 58 assists). He was instrumental in leading Colorado to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 (after a 22-win season in 2016-17 no less), and he managed to do it despite being the only All-Star on the team.

Granted, the competition for MVP will be stiff — more veteran players such as Taylor Hall and Claude Giroux are in the mix, as are the usual suspects like Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. But this endorsement from Subban, who is not always so gracious with other NHL elites, certainly carries some weight.