It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re smack dab in the middle of the off-season, but there’s plenty of fodder for the rumour mill. Some huge contracts are coming up at the end of the 2024-25 season. General managers are already trying to get ahead of things and make some deals. The Colorado Avalanche have a top-tier player that could hit the free agent market on July 1, 2025. This edition of NHL rumours deals with what the status of a deal for one of their top centres.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Colorado Avalanche Centre Contract Update
Rumour: Elliotte Friedman in a summer edition of 32 Thoughts discussed what the status of a new deal for Mikko Rantanen. The Finnish forward is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the upcoming season.
Analysis: Rantanen is in the final year of a deal that sees him making $9.25 million per season. The 27-year-old is a key cog in the Avalanche’s attack and is likely to fetch a nice raise. It’s pretty much a given that he’ll get over $10 million.
There’s always a concern in tying up that much money into one player. However, the left-handed shot seems to be more than worth it. Rantanen had a career-high 55 goals in 2022-23 and is pretty much penciled in for at least 40 goals.
Friedman added that his sources said there’s optimism about getting a deal done. It doesn’t seem like Rantanen is going to make it to the open market if Colorado has anything to say about it.
The Shrinking Market
General managers have some hefty targets if they hit the open market. Players like Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl, Pittsburgh Penguins legend Sidney Crosby and Rantanen are just a few of the names that could change the fortunes of a club if they get to July 1 unsigned.
However, Friedman stated that teams are starting to take Draisaitl and Rantanen off their boards. It looks like both players are probably going to re-sign with their current clubs. Crosby will also likely stay put it the Steel City. However, armchair GMs can dream until the pen hits the paper.
Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland does have some hefty contracts on the books like that of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews. However, it seems like Rantanen is going to stay in the Rocky Mountains.
X-Factors
There may be a couple of unknowns when it comes to what may shape a Rantanen contract. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog still faces an uncertain future in his attempted comeback from injury. The Swede commands a salary of $7 million through the 2027-28 season. One hopes that Landeskog can return, but his salary could be put on long-term injured reserve.
There’s also the uncertain future of Valeri Nichushkin, who is in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The Russian has a cap hit of $6.125 million until the end of the 2027-28 season. MacFarland wants to see if Nichushkin can make a comeback before deciding the next move.
One wonders if he’ll be moved once things are settled. If Colorado can move that difficult contract, that can free up money for Rantanen. However, it’s going to be a tall task to make that happen.
It’s almost a given that Rantanen will re-sign in Denver according to Friedman. However, the final cap number is still in the air.
Main photo by: Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports
