The knee injuries to might ruin the Avalanche’s plans to return rookie Mikko Rantanen to minors and preserve the first year of his entry-level contract (ELC). After all, how can the Avs demote Rantanen — the AHL’s rookies scoring leader in just 44 games-played — if Duchene and/or MacKinnon are out more than the next two games?
Rantanen is pointless in seven NHL games, but he obviously has the ability to help the Avs offensively in the final nine games and a playoff spot on the line. He became the second youngest AHL player in 80 years of the league to play in its all-star game.
Toronto’s William Nylander recently became the 12th ELC-slide-eligible player to burn a year of the deal by playing in 10 NHL games. But according to coach Patrick Roy, the Avalanche doesn’t want to do that with Rantanen.
“Yes we are,” Roy told me about being concerned about keeping Rantanen’s ELC-slide intact. “I’d be very surprised (if he plays in 10 games). I’m going to let (GM) Joe (Sakic) talk more about this — it’s more Joe’s thing — but I’ll say to you, we’re focused on those two games and we’ll see after. But, the contract, it is in the back of our mind.”
Rantanen skated with other youngsters more than an hour after practice ended Monday, after the decent media gathering had left. He told me: “Just trying not to think about it too much, that contract thing. The guys upstairs decide what to do and I just try to play as well as I can and try to help the team win. It’s a big playoff push here. I don’t decide where I play.”
Rantanen is in his first year in North American and continually playing on NHL-size sheets. “It was nice playing in San Antonio, trying to learn more of the North American game,” he said. “When I came here I knew I like to play in the smaller rink. The game is faster and I have to make decisions faster. The games I played there have really helped me — and the minutes too; I was on the PP, PK, everything.”
Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog talks about moving forward without Duchene and MacKinnon:
Semyon Varlamov scheduled starter next two games as play without Duchene and MacKinnon
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers)
More video from Gabe Landeskog after Tuesday’s practice:
