'It's Done When It's Done.' Avalanche Star Forward Focused On Coming Season; Not Contract Negotiations.

Last month prior to training camp the Edmonton Oilers locked up Leon Draisaitl, who would have been the top player available in next July's free agent market to a massive 8-year $112M dollar contract extension, taking him off other teams potential wishlists. Now, the Colorado Avalanche hope that their own star player and potential UFA in Mikko Rantanen does the same.

With Draisaitl now off the market, Rantanen is the top potential UFA in next summers' free agent pool aside from New York Ranger goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who reportedly rejected a 8-year $88M contract offer from the Rangers.

The Avalanche however, are hoping that they can lock up Rantanen well before then. Earlier this month when training camp opened, Rantanen told media that he is just trying to focus on the upcoming season, not concerning himself with when a potential deal could get done.

It’s done when it’s done, and business will always take care of itself. I’m just here to play hockey and get ready for another season and try to help my team win,” Rantanen said.

When the contract does get done here at some point, whether it be during the season or after, it may be even more lucrative than the deal Nathan MacKinnon signed with the Avalanche prior to the 2022-2023 season when he inked a 8-year $100.80M deal.

Rantanen is coming off back-to-back 100 point seasons, scoring 55 goals and 105 points in 22-23 and 42 goals and 104 points last season. That kind of production certainly makes it possible and even probable, that Rantanen will earn a AAV that is north of MacKinnons' $12.6M, which would make him the highest paid player on the Avalanche.

Coming into this 2024-2025 season, the only active NHL players to record 3 consecutive 100+ point seasons are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Alex Ovechkin. If Rantanen reaches 100 points this season for the 3rd straight year and joins that elite company, he could conceivably earn a contract similar to the one Draisaitl signed.

Speaking of elite company, just to show how valuable Rantanen has been to the Avalanche over the last 3 years, Rantanen ranks 6th in goals with 133, only trailing Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov. His 301 points rank 6th over that time as well. His body of work the last few years will certainly result in a significant pay raise from his current $9.25M cap hit.

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At the conclusion of this season the Avalanche will have roughly $20.55M coming off the books with Rantanens' current contract expiring, on top of the contracts of Jonathan Drouin, Chris Wagner, Joel Kiviranta, Tucker Poolman, Oliver Kylington, Calvin de Haan and Alexandar Georgiev. Also, while it is just an early projection, the NHL salary cap could be going up $4M to $92.4M as the upper limit. That would give the Avalanche nearly $25M to re-sign Rantanen and make any other improvements that Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland wants to make.

Back in July it was reported by Jesse Montano from Guerilla Sports that an extension for Rantanen was close, but nothing got done.

Now, as the Avalanche get set to open their season against the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow night in Vegas, it appears as though Rantanen will start the season with no extension just yet, similar to Mitch Marner in Toronto. Unlike Marner where there is some level of uncertainty there, Avalanche fans can rest easy as it appears that the Avs and Rantanen will get a deal done as both sides want the same thing.

“I like the team, I like the city. If you win a Stanley Cup here, why would I want to leave, you know? That’s the only thing I want to say about it. We’ll see, it’s done when it’s done,” Rantanen said.