MacKinnon has lit the league ablaze since Duchene trade

Were there too many cooks in the kitchen prior to the Matt Duchene trade?

One thing is for certain, ever since Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche pulled the trigger on a three-way deal that sent Duchene to the Ottawa Senators, Nathan MacKinnon has played the best hockey of his career.

Heck, he's played the best hockey of anyone in the league since the trade was made on Nov. 5. MacKinnon has put up 26 points in 19 games following the deal - two more than Connor McDavid for the most during that time frame. Meanwhile, only St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn has scored more than MacKinnon's 12 goals (13).

The jump in production has been quite remarkable:

MacKinnon is averaging nearly three more minutes of ice time per game and is using his opportunity wisely, averaging nearly 1.5 more shots per game. He's scored nine more goals in the 19 games since the trade than he did in the 12 games prior.

He's well on his way to setting new career highs, and after last year's disastrous finish, he's given the Avalanche something positive to talk about.