Mikko Rantanen and Colorado Avalanche Continue To Work on a New Deal
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio on Wednesday with Steve Kouleas and Jason Strudwick and was asked about Mikko Rantanen and contract talks with the Colorado Avalanche and what he will make on his next deal.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
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Jason Strudwick: “What are your thoughts on Colorado? Not the start they wanted; some question marks, obviously, some people in the lineup, some people not in the lineup, they have some injuries and then the Mikko Rantanen contract extension like, what which one, if any, of those, is the one that’s kind of bogging this team down right now.”
Dave Pagnotta: “I think, just the 0-3 start, certainly, I think Rantanen, they’re going to try to figure that out as the season progresses. There’s nothing really been close to this point, even though the lines of communication are open, and that’s what MacFarland, their GM, illustrated as well, that, hey, my line is always open.
Andy Scott’s line is always open, the agent there who represents Rantanen, so there doesn’t seem to be any panic from that perspective right now, even though it’s going to cost a pretty penny, and I’ll get into that in a second.
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But I think more so than anything Struds, I think it’s where things are at at the start of the season. You don’t want to press the panic button after three games, but you know, you’ve got a minus-10 goal differential. You’ve given up 20 in your first three. (now 25 goals in their first four games).
That’s certainly a concern defensively and goaltending-wise. That’s, I think, more of an immediate concern than anything for this Avs team. Now there’s enough firepower and talent there to write the ship. And again, it’s only, three games (now four game) in for them. But you don’t want to dig yourself a too deep a hole, especially with how competitive the Central is.
As far as Rantanen goes. And this is going to cost a pretty penny for Colorado to make this happen. If you’re basing, and I wrote about this on Monday, that big deals are kind of in and around the percentage of the cap now for your top tier guys.
Nate’s contract which kicked in last season was just over 15% of the cap, the cap based last year at 83 and a half Leon Draisaitl who shares an agent with Rantanen in Andy Scott, he’s just over 15% of next year’s cap, that is projected to be 92.5 so where does that leave Mikko?
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He can make an argument, he’s certainly below, from a talent overall perspective, than Leon, so maybe not 14. But can you argue that he’s going to be over 12 and a half, 12.6 which is the cap hit of Nate MacKinnon? That’s what they are going to have to figure out. That’s going to be the battle going back and forth to try to get him locked in.
They don’t have a ton of cap space if they are to sign him, they’re not going to be left with a ton of cap space next season. Obviously, there’s a lot of runway until then, but you have to consider your options. And again, nothing imminent on the Rantanen front but it certainly sounds like it’s going to be something pressing as the season moves along.”