Mikko Rantanen Selected 10th in the NHL Draft

After a disappointing finish to the 2014-15 season, the Avalanche ended up with the 10th selection in the NHL entry draft. With that pick the Avs went with a ’96 from Finland by the name of Mikko Rantanen, who was the top ranked player from Europe at the time of the draft. Rantanen played three years professionally in Finland before being chosen by the Avalanche during the offseason. A skilled winger with some size, Rantanen created excitement and was even given a chance to prove himself as a consistent option in the Avalanche lineup. He played in the first six games for the Avalanche this season, but was unable to produce any points in his limited role. Rantanen was sent to the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, to grow as a player and gain some experience. His time with the Rampage will be beneficial to the Avalanche’s future, allowing Rantanen the time to improve and prepare for the NHL scene, as well as give the organization contract flexibility moving forward. The Avalanche have a lot of free agents to deal with this offseason, and the fact that Rantanen has played so few NHL games and his young age means his rookie-level contract will not kick in until next season. This gives the Avs time to develop Rantanen, save some money and focus on giving a fair contract to the upcoming free agents such as Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie (among many others).