Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche suffered an injury Monday night against the St. Louis Blues. Rantanen appeared to catch his skate on a blemish in the ice, which turned his leg an awkward direction and sent him tumbling. Elliotte Friedman was among the many to post a clip of the incident.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1186452421624631296?s=20
Today, coach Jared Bednar gave more information on the injury, calling it week-to-week.
Bednar: Mikko Rantanen he's week-to-week with a lower body. "Should know more early next week." #Avs #GoAvsGo #NHL
— Sean Keeler (@SeanKeeler) October 23, 2019
Bednar doesn't think Rantanen it's a '4-to-6-week' thing, which is a 'positive for me.' #Avs #GoAvsGo #NHL
— Sean Keeler (@SeanKeeler) October 23, 2019
Mikko Rantanen Out
Rantanen was having an excellent start to the season. The 23-year-old had five goals and 11 points in eight games. His 21.7 shooting percentage was unsustainable but it was still exciting from a player whose scoring has increased every year since entering the league. His place next to Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog formed one of the NHL’s most dangerous lines. Any extended injury puts a damper on Colorado’s blazing-hot 7-1-1 start.
An absence immediately puts an increased burden on Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi to produce more from the wing. The two offseason acquisitions have a combined seven goals and 14 points through Colorado’s first nine games but more is needed. The team will also need young skaters Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher to take that next step. Compher has four points while Jost electrified with a hat trick against the Florida Panthers. A major injury will test Colorado’s forward depth early.
The Avalanche also have plenty of depth to experiment. Jost moving up could give Vladislav Kamenev the chance he needs to play on the top-nine and prove his health can hold up. Colorado could choose to promote top AHL wing prospect Martin Kaut despite a slow start in Loveland.
Finally, the team has plenty of farm depth and cap space to chase a wing on the trade market. Jesse Puljujarvi wants the Edmonton Oilers to trade him while Taylor Hall has not yet signed an extension with the New Jersey Devils. Colorado does not need to trade right now but Rantanen’s potential injury could produce strange ripple effects.
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