"Just being in the playoffs, staying composed, trying to help out the team as best I can, be more of a leader, because it's hard to win," he said. "It's hard to get past really good teams. You know, the second round is tough. … Just trying to keep staying composed and push our team to another level."
The process hasn't been as long for Makar, who has been part of three playoff runs and two regular seasons shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also has a more flatlined personality.
In 2019-20, he won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, and last season, he was runner-up for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded to the League's best defenseman.
He's unsatisfied, yet patient.
"I think for myself I still have a lot to prove," Makar said. "Really, internally, I don't think I've really done much yet, so it's just building off that. … Obviously my first three years, it's been second-round exits from the playoffs with the team. Hopefully we can change that this year, but it just takes time."
Makar is 22. MacKinnon is still only 26. Most of their teammates are in their 20s, too.
"We're so young, and it's a learning curve," Makar said. "Not every team is going to win in their first three years of being great."
The Avalanche lost goalie Philipp Grubauer and forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Brandon Saad to free agency, had forward Joonas Donskoi selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, and traded defenseman Ryan Graves to the New Jersey Devils this offseason.
But they added goalie Darcy Kuemper, defenseman Ryan Murray, and forwards Darren Helm and Mikhail Maltsev. They have young players with potential, including defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Alex Newhook, who are each 20. They have the same core.
"We're still as good as we were last year, if not better," MacKinnon said. "We're hungry."
Makar said: "We knew last year we had the team to do it, and we know this year we're going to have the same thing. That'll be the expectation, and expectations shouldn't add any pressure whatsoever. For us as a team, we know that that's our goal, and expectations aside, we don't expect anything less from ourselves."
MacKinnon pointed to the Washington Capitals, who didn't advance past the second round for 18 seasons before winning the Cup in 2018, and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were swept in the first round as the Presidents' Trophy winners in 2019 before winning the Cup in 2020 and 2021.
"You don't have to change a lot," MacKinnon said. "I think you just have to keep fine-tuning it when you're close, in my opinion. I mean, hopefully that's what it takes, because that's what I think. I think we have the pieces to win. Historically, if you look at teams that win, I think we're similar. We're a really good team. We just have to get it done."