Tavares after summer workouts with MacKinnon: 'He's gone from boy to man'
After the pair of first overall picks spent time working out together this summer, John Tavares of the New York Islanders came away impressed with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.
"[MacKinnon's] gone from boy to man," said Tavares, picked No. 1 in 2009, according to Gare Joyce of Sportsnet magazine. "[His] first step [is] even more explosive now."
Scary thought for someone whose first career playoff goal - scored at age 18 - looked like this:
MacKinnon, the NHL's top draft pick in 2013, scored 24 goals and added 39 assists in 82 games as a rookie, taking home the Calder Trophy at the end of the season.
While his speed is indeed a great strength, Joyce contends the second-year player could benefit from having improved in other areas as well.
@Mackinnon9 as maybe the most improved this yr? Not far-fetched. Word from Andy O'Brien summer camp: NMac is significantly bigger, stronger.
— Gare Joyce (@GareJoyceNHL) September 3, 2014
Add it all up, and MacKinnon appears to have all the makings of a special player who could rise to stardom even quicker than most anticipated.
[H/T Pro Hockey Talk]