Nathan MacKinnon has been named to the Central Division All-Star team.

The NHL announced this morning that Nathan MacKinnon has been selected to represent the Colorado Avalanche at the 2018 All-Star game in Tampa Bay.

The selection is no surprise as MacKinnon has been one of the best players in the league all season long. He currently sits second in the NHL with 52 points, trailing only Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning.

MacKinnon has been on an incredible tear through the first half of the season. His 18 goals are already one better than last season and if his offensive pace continues, he will shatter his previous career high of 63 points.

He has turned into a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate and is the main reason why the Avalanche are in contention for a wildcard spot.

Many expected a breakout season was coming for MacKinnon, but it’s hard to believe many saw this offensive production happening. For most of the season, he has been carrying the Avalanche offensively. He is among the best in the league at driving scoring chances for his team.

Last week, the fans voted P.K. Subban as the captain of the Central Division team during All-Star weekend. MacKinnon will be joining Subban along with Tyler Seguin (Dallas), John Klingberg (Dallas), Pekka Rinne (Nashville), Patrick Kane (Chicago), Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg), Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg), Brayden Schenn (St. Louis), and Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis) and Eric Staal (Minnesota).