The Colorado Avalanche standout Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have been recognized as two of the three finalists for the prestigious Ted Lindsay Award, honoring the NHL's most outstanding player. MacKinnon, last year’s winner, tallied an impressive 32 goals and 116 points, placing second in the league despite missing the final games due to a minor injury. Makar, a first-time nominee, led all defensemen with 30 goals and 92 points, establishing new franchise records. They are the first teammates to be nominated since the award's renaming in 2010, alongside Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, the NHL’s points leader with 121.