The Colorado Avalanche lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in their season opener on Wednesday night. They would have looked entirely flat without Mikko Rantanen, also known as “The Moose”. He scored three goals during the game, marking his eighth career hat trick. During the team’s most recent Stanley Cup-winning season, he achieved the highest number of hat tricks in his career, with three. One big storyline this past offseason was the potential contract extension for Rantanen, in which nothing came up.
The Avalanche are currently tight on cap space, with two major contracts on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) from Valeri Nuchishkin and Gabriel Landeskog; Nathan MacKinnon’s contract extension has also kicked in. With recent wingers getting massive contract extensions like William Nylander and David Pastrnak, what will Rantanen’s look like with how important he has been, and when could we see a deal finalized? According to new reports from insiders, it will take quite a bit of time before we hear of extension talks.
Could We Even See an Extension Before the Season Ends?
Rantanen has stated that he will not discuss a contract extension during the regular season. This information comes from reporter Adrian Dater on his Substack (via Pro Hockey Rumors). He also mentions that his source has contradicted previous reports that suggested the two parties were close to reaching an agreement.
According to Dater, who cites NHL sources, Rantanen’s camp may be using the possibility of free agency next summer to pressure Avalanche management. If the Avalanche believe they cannot secure him long-term, it could lead to significant trade rumors. Losing Rantanen would be a major setback for Colorado, but trading him could bring a substantial return.
Pierre LeBrun adds to this news, stating on “Insider Trading” that “I really don’t think anything is imminent at this moment.”
This is a significant topic of discussion for the Avalanche this season as they manage the cap space for the return of Landeskog and Nichshkin at some point this season and how they approach potentially re-signing Jonathan Drouin, who just signed for less than $1 million this past offseason for one year.
What Could a Possible Extension Look Like?
Other positions that have received massive extensions that could be similar to what Rantanen could get are all in the ballpark of $11 million per year. Nylander got $11.5 million a year, and Pastrnak got $11.25 million, which is “fair” compared to their skill, age, and value to their team. One major factor that needs to be considered is that Rantanen has the same agent, Andy Scott, as Leon Draisaitl, who just received a massive $14 million-a-year extension, a total value of $112 million.
Related: Predicting Mikko Rantanen’s Extension with the Avalanche
I don’t think Rantanen will be getting $14 million a season. He will likely have a lower cap hit than Nathan MacKinnon, but we won’t know until a deal is finalized. I believe that number is safe until Cale Makar’s new contract is due in three years when he will set a new market for NHL defensemen. The salary cap has increased and will likely increase again before Rantanen’s new deal begins. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect it to cost slightly more than Pastrnak’s. The Draisaitl deal demonstrates that star players always receive high pay, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Rantanen ends up with a contract of around $12 million.
If the reports are accurate, Rantanen does look to hold out of talks as the season progresses. Suppose he continues the season how he started in game one and puts up massive career numbers. In that case, we could be looking at a player getting more expensive as the season continues and more pressure on the front office to get a deal done before he potentially prices himself out of Colorado.
Rantanen’s Impact On the Avalanche Deserves A Raise
An integral part of the Avalanche core is Rantanen. Since entering the league, he has quietly been one of the NHL’s best and most productive wingers, often overshadowed by his linemate, MacKinnon. He had an outstanding year in 2022-23, reaching the 50-goal (55) and 100-point (105) milestones for the first time in his career. This marked his third consecutive season of improving his point total. In the 2023-24 season, he had another impressive performance. He scored 42 goals and achieved a career-best 62 assists, totaling 104 points. This placed him eighth in the NHL, ahead of players like Nylander, Sidney Crosby, and Kirill Kaprizov. He has proven himself to be one of the top right-wingers in the league, and he can also play as a center when needed. He consistently performs well and has been doing so for years.
In the playoffs, Rantanen has been fantastic and crucial in many games during the Stanley Cup run in 2021-22. In 81 playoff games, he has 34 goals and 67 assists for 101 points. He is tied for fifth for all-time playoff goals; one more puts him past Michel Goulet for fourth. He is also third in assists with 67 (with MacKinnon and Makar quickly catching him), fourth in all-time playoff points and tied for seventh in power-play goals (one more passes Peter Stastny). At 27 years old, he has cemented himself not only in regular season records but playoff records as well, and with how the team is built offensively to continue competing, he only rises higher each year they make the playoffs.
The salary cap was a significant issue just a couple of seasons ago when COVID-19 came and screwed everything up, making the cap slowly climb up when it should have skyrocketed a while ago. Now that it’s doing what it should have done, many players like Rantanen are looking to capitalize on their play and get a massive pay raise as it continues to increase each season. He has been a critical piece of this team since he was drafted back in 2015 and has looked better each season, with his game evolving as a goal scorer and a playmaker. This organization should do whatever it can to extend him as he is in his prime, and how this team is built to compete now while some of its best players are playing some of their best hockey.
