Avalanche Forward Seeking Huge Salary on Next Contract

A pending Colorado Avalanche free agent is reportedly seeking a huge salary in a contract extension.

Nov 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) controls the puck in the second period against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

As the season reaches a halfway point, the worry grows for the Colorado Avalanche front office. With each passing day, they move closer to a reality where they no longer have star forward Mikko Rantanen on their roster. The pending free agent and the Avs have made no headway on a long-term contract extension and as the calendar flips, the pressure ramps up to get a deal done.

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Avalanche forward is seeking a huge salary on his next contract. In a recent article of his, he reported that the rumblings around the league are that Rantanen is seeking a yearly salary of $14 million.

"Does $14 million x 8 years get things done between the Colorado Avalanche and Mikko Rantanen?" he wrote. "It sure sounds like that’s the starting point on an AAV he’d command as a free agent, if he gets to July 1."

That number would make Rantanen the highest-paid player on the Avalanche roster. MVP forward Nathan MacKinnon has three years remaining on a deal paying him $12.6 million anually while Norris Trophy winning defender Cale Makar has two seasons remaining on a contract worth $9 million per season. With the Avs knowing they need to pay their foundational pieces raises as well, how high will Colorado go with Rantanen?

If the Avalanche don't meet that asking price, someone in free agency will next summer. Rantanen has been one of the most productive forwards in the NHL since entering the league with Colorado. Over 603 NHL games, he has 280 goals and 384 assists for 664 points. He's averaged a point-per-game or higher in six of eight of his full seasons in the league and he's well on pace for that again in 2024-2025. In just 33 contests this campaign, he already has 18 goals and 47 points.

With the season hitting the midway point soon, the Rantanen and Avalanche negotiations are still going nowhere. There's still plenty of time for a deal to be finalized, but until that happens the belief will only grow that Rantanen could command that high salary with another organization on the open market.

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