Avalanche vs Predators Player Props: MacKinnon's All-or-Nothing Start

The Colorado Avalanche visit the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday, October 25, with puck drop scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

Colorado enters Friday's matchup against Tampa Bay with a 5-4-1 record, having lost consecutive games against Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Nashville hasn't been particularly convincing either. The Predators dropped to 3-3-3 following Thursday's 6-0 defeat against Boston, their fourth loss in five appearances.

The Avalanche are favored on Kalshi and Polymarket, with game-winner prices recently indicating approximately a 67–71% implied probability of a Colorado victory.

I'm more interested in MacKinnon's individual production. His unusual scoring pattern, combined with Nashville's difficult schedule, makes two or more points an intriguing target.

MacKinnon has six goals and ten assists through ten appearances, averaging 1.6 points per game.

That's almost identical to his production during the 2025-26 season, when he finished with 127 points in 80 games.

What stands out this season is how frequently he's delivered multiple points.

MacKinnon opened the campaign with two goals against Los Angeles, added three points against St. Louis and recorded another three-point performance against Calgary.

He followed that with two points against Toronto, two against Dallas and four against Pittsburgh on October 16.

Six games with multiple points. Four without any.

The last two performances have been frustrating, though. MacKinnon was held scoreless against Philadelphia and New Jersey, with Colorado losing both games.

However, his involvement against New Jersey was encouraging. He registered five shots and played more than 21 minutes, remaining heavily involved despite failing to reach the scoresheet.

That's important because his offensive opportunities haven't completely disappeared.

MacKinnon remains Colorado's leading center, regularly playing alongside Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas while receiving substantial power-play responsibilities.

And if the Avalanche can generate offense against Nashville, I'd expect their captain to be heavily involved.

Thursday's defeat was easily Nashville's worst performance of the young season.

The Predators conceded twice in every period, eventually falling 6-0 against Boston. David Pastrnak scored twice and added two assists, while Charlie McAvoy contributed four assists.

Head coach Andrew Brunette described the performance as his team's worst of the season.

It's difficult to disagree.

Nashville struggled with turnovers, defensive coverage and puck management throughout the game. Boston repeatedly created opportunities off mistakes, and the Predators never looked particularly comfortable.

However, I'm reluctant to assume one terrible performance means Nashville suddenly has one of the NHL's weakest defensive units.

Before Thursday, the Predators had allowed an average of 2.75 goals per game and owned a penalty-killing percentage above 85%.

Juuse Saros has also been reasonably effective, carrying a .906 save percentage through seven appearances.

The more interesting factor might be Nashville's schedule.

The Predators visit Pittsburgh on Saturday before returning home to face Colorado on Sunday, completing consecutive games with travel between them.

That's not ideal against an Avalanche team featuring MacKinnon, Necas and Cale Makar.

Artturi Lehkonen has been one of the NHL's most productive goalscorers this season.

The Finnish winger has eight goals through ten appearances, including two against Pittsburgh and another two against New Jersey.

He's also recorded at least one point in five consecutive games, developing an increasingly productive partnership with MacKinnon.

However, there's a catch.

Lehkonen has scored those eight goals on just 16 shots, converting an extraordinary 50% of his opportunities.

That's obviously unsustainable over an entire season.

I wouldn't dismiss his anytime-goal potential entirely, especially against a Nashville team that struggled defensively against Boston. Still, I'm reluctant to chase such an exceptional finishing streak.

For MacKinnon's points market, Lehkonen's success is encouraging regardless.

Colorado's leading center has an established finisher alongside him, while Necas provides another dangerous offensive option on the opposite wing.

Necas has five goals and six assists through ten games, including a three-point performance against Pittsburgh.

There's plenty of scoring talent surrounding MacKinnon, which makes another multi-point performance a reasonable possibility.

Makar has three goals and eight assists through nine games, continuing to produce at an extraordinary rate for a defenseman.

He recorded two assists against New Jersey on October 20, following another two-point performance against Pittsburgh four days earlier.

The 27-year-old remains central to Colorado's offensive buildup, regularly playing alongside Devon Toews while directing the Avalanche's leading power-play unit.

His passing ability creates opportunities for MacKinnon and Colorado's other forwards, particularly when opponents concentrate their defensive attention on the top line.

Makar's 1+ assist market is certainly worth considering.

However, Nashville's penalty kill has been relatively effective despite the team's recent struggles, so I'm not necessarily expecting Colorado to dominate with the man advantage.

MacKinnon's two-point market offers a broader route through goals and assists at both even strength and on the power play.

Nashville has its own offensive defenseman capable of influencing Sunday's matchup.

Roman Josi has recorded eight assists through nine games, remaining one of the Predators' most important contributors.

He's been playing alongside Adam Wilsby and continues to receive significant power-play responsibilities, often working with Steven Stamkos, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly.

Nashville's power play has been surprisingly productive, converting nearly 30% of its opportunities before Thursday's defeat.

That's worth considering because Colorado hasn't been particularly consistent defensively.

The Avalanche have already conceded six goals against Toronto and four against New Jersey, while Mackenzie Blackwood has a save percentage below .900.

Josi's 1+ assist market could therefore present an interesting alternative.

Still, Nashville's lack of consistent offensive production concerns me. The Predators have been held to two goals or fewer in four of their nine appearances, and Thursday's shutout wasn't particularly encouraging.

For this matchup, I'd rather support Colorado's leading offensive player.

Colorado's latest top line features Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, followed by Gabriel Landeskog, Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri.

Jaden Schwartz, Fedor Svechkov and T.J. Hughes provide additional depth, while Devon Toews and Cale Makar remain the leading defensive pairing.

Nicolas Roy has been dealing with a lower-body injury, while Zachary L'Heureux is also unavailable. Logan O'Connor's return remains worth monitoring.

Nashville's most recent first line featured Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos, followed by Alexander Kerfoot, Mavrik Bourque and Jonathan Marchessault.

Ross Colton, Matthew Wood and Nils Hoglander have formed another offensive combination, with Roman Josi continuing to lead the defensive group.

Bourque returned from injury against Boston, giving Nashville another center option.

Juuse Saros and Mackenzie Blackwood are the leading goaltending options, although the final assignments will depend partly on how both teams handle their preceding games.