Rantanen is going to be costly for the Avs
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Darren Dreger was on WGR 550 talking about the Colorado Avalanche and their pending restricted free agent forward Mikko Rantanen. Dreger notes that he believes the Avalanche talked to Rantanen’s reps before the season and were comfortable around $6 million. (* meaning the Avs comfortable at that number and not Rantanen)
“Oh my goodness,” agreed Dreger. “It was low then, and it’s absurd now. Then there might have been some dialogue, informal or otherwise, at some point in the season where Colorado was creeping up to around 8. Well, 8’s not getting it done.”
Dreger thinks the Avs with Rantanen, Winnipeg Jets with Patrik Laine, and the Tampa Bay Lightning with Brayden Point and their agents are all waiting for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews to set the market.
“I don’t think it’s going to be out of the question for Mikko Rantanen to demand – I don’t know – $11 million or $12 million.”
Top 45 players that could be dealt by the trade deadline
TSN: Trade bait board
1. Artemi Panarin – LW – UFA
2. Matt Duchene – C – UFA
3. Wayne Simmonds – RW – UFA
4. Micheal Ferland – LW – UFA
5. Mats Zuccarello – RW – UFA
6. Dougie Hamilton – RHD – 2 years
7. Gustav Nyquist – RW – UFA
8. Brian Boyle – C – UFA
9. Jimmy Howard – G – UFA
10. Mark Stone – RW – UFA
11. Jakob Silfverberg – RW – UFA
12. Cam Talbot – G – UFA
13. Sergei Bobrovsky – G – UFA
14. Kevin Hayes – C – UFA
15. Alec Martinez – LHD – 2 years
16. Charlie Coyle – C – 1 year
17. Brayden Schenn – C – 1 year
18. Jeff Carter – C – 3 years
19. Brett Pesce – RHD – 5 years
20. Jack Roslovic – C/RW – 1 year
21. Cody Ceci – RD – RFA
22. Alexander Edler – LHD – UFA
23. Andre Burakovsky – LW – RFA
24. Marcus Johansson – LW – UFA
25. Chris Kreider – LW – 1 year
26. Colton Parayko – RHD – 3 years
27. Justin Faulk – RHD – 1 year
28. Alex Steen – LW – 2 years
29. Jay Bouwmeester – LD – UFA
30. Kasperi Kapanen – RW – RFA
31. Andreas Johnsson – LW – RFA
32. Ryan Dzingel – LW – UFA
33. Pat Maroon – LW – UFA
34. Jesse Puljujarvi – RW – RFA
35. Adam McQuaid – RHD – UFA
36. Niklas Kronwall – LHD – UFA
37. Jamie McGinn – LW – UFA
38. Chris Tanev – RHD – 1 year
39. Vlad Namestnikov – LW – 1 year
40. Luke Glendening – C – 2 years
41. Carl Hagelin – LW – UFA
42. Nathan Beaulieu – LHD – UFA
43. Mikkel Boedker – LW – 1 year
44. Tobias Rieder – LW – RFA
45. Jeff Skinner – LW – UFA
