Why The Idea of Trading Mikko Rantanen Is Asinine

Since when did Mikko Rantanen become the whipping boy for Colorado Avalanche fans?

Going back to before the playoffs even began, a very vocal portion of the fanbase has been calling for the Avalanche to potentially trade the back-to-back 100 point scorer this offseason, opening up some cap space with the idea of spreading the wealth around the lineup a little bit. I don’t believe it’s a large portion of the fanbase, but they’re out there, as I get a few messages a day floating the idea out there. I just have one question, though.

Have people forgotten how hard it is to find elite talent?

The Avalanche have it pretty good right now, as they’ve got an elite center (Nathan MacKinnon), the best defenseman in the world (Cale Makar), and a top flight winger (Rantanen). It’s not always going to be this good, though. Things can change quickly in the NHL, and when they do, it’s hard to turn things back around. When you find an elite player in this league, you don’t want to lose them.

I get why people are frustrated with Rantanen. Even though he put up 100 points (again) this season, he didn’t quite look like a 100 point scorer. Heck, his teammates dad called him out mid-season. During the 2022-23 campaign, he could have very easily been the MVP of the Avalanche, scoring 55 goals for a team that really lacked depth. That wasn’t the case this past season. He still racked up a ton of points, but he didn’t really come close to matching his level of play from the year before. That doesn’t make replacing 100 points any easier, though.

The 27 year old winger has one year left on his contract and is eligible to sign an extension this summer. Some see this as an opportunity to move him before he cashes in and takes up a bigger chunk of Colorado’s cap space. Why? When has trading a 100 point scorer in their prime ever worked out for an NHL team? Do you think the Calgary Flames are happy with how that Matthew Tkachuk trade worked out? I know the Panthers are.

Let’s take a look at Colorado’s current situation at wing. It’s a little bleak, if we’re being honest.

Jonathan Drouin, pending unrestricted free agent, might get squeezed out by the cap.

Valeri Nichushkin, currently suspended at least six months and should probably never wear an Avalanche uniform again.

Gabriel Landeskog, return date unknown from a surgery no NHL player has ever returned from.

Artturi Lehkonen, needs shoulder surgery, might be ready for training…