Opinion: Though Rantanen Trade Rumors Exist In Colorado, Star Winger Should Remain With Avalanche

As the Colorado Avalanche hit their stride this season – winning eight of their past 10 games – some Avs fans are concerned about the future of star right winger Mikko Rantanen. Adding to this concern, TVA Sports journalist Renaud Lavoie has reported that Rantanen will likely be traded if Colorado is unable to sign the looming UFA to a contract extension by the trade deadline. But, considering all that Rantanen does for the Avalanche, they should be opening up the chequebook for him and making sure they sign him well before the end of the season.

The 28-year-old Rantanen is once again having a banner year on offense for the Avs, posting 25 goals and 60 points in only 43 games this season. Even if Colorado is okay with dealing Rantanen, what would they be getting in any trade for his services? What type of perennial all-star candidate and supreme offense-generating machine would a prospective trade partner have to offer for him? To ask the question is to answer it – there’s no trade out there that would get anywhere close to an equal return for him.

Meanwhile, the Avs have already shown they’re willing to spend big bucks on core players, whether it’s the recent extension for goalie Mackenzie Blackwood or the contracts they've given to stars Nathan MacKinnon (at $12.6 million per season) and Cale Makar (at $9 million per season). Those two contracts in particular already look like relative bargains for Colorado, and with the salary cap ceiling expected to rise significantly, the Avalanche won’t be in a position where they have to choose between a raise for Rantanen and help elsewhere on the roster.

Rantanen’s current salary of $9.25 million is a bargain for what the Finn native brings to the table. So, another few million to keep him long-term isn’t asking too much on his behalf. He’s a top-10 talent in the league at forward, and he’s still in his prime and will be for many more years.

While it’s true any pending UFA will be rumored to be on the trade block until such time that they sign a contract extension, the Avs can afford to be patient with Rantanen a while longer. And with the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline still basically two months away, there’s lots of time for Colorado management and Rantanen’s agent to get a new deal done for him. Both sides have to be comfortable with the dollar amount and contract term before they agree to a long-term deal, and that process takes time.

That said, imagine the egg on the face of Avalanche management if they decided to trade away a competitor of Rantanen’s caliber. It would be impossible to replace him with an equally talented asset, and the Avs aren’t in a rebuilding mode where they would accept a slew of draft picks and prospects in any trade. And Rantanen, who currently has a modified no-trade clause, could be dealt to a team that doesn’t have the talent that Colorado does.

Any way you slice it, the move that makes the most sense here is for the Avalanche to re-sign Rantanen to a long-term extension. Now, the term of the deal might be limited to four or five years, as that would give Rantanen another chance to secure a major payday while he’s still at his peak. But, when it comes to being paid fairly, the Avs are going to do their utmost to ensure Rantanen feels valued. And Rantanen is going to recognize that Colorado is his best fit over the long haul. There’s simply too much positive history between the two sides to put an end to it now.

So, don’t start burning your Rantanen jersey, Avalanche fans. When the rubber hits the road and it’s time for Rantanen and Avs management to come together with a new deal for him, it’s most likely that he will choose to be in Colorado for the foreseeable future.

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