Finally, it’s over. Mikko Rantanen is under contract.
The 22-year-old right wing on Saturday agreed to a six-year, $55.5 million contract with the Avalanche, making him the team’s highest-paid player. His annual salary cap charge will be $9.25 million.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first reported the sides were close to agreeing to a long-term contract. Rantanen, who was a restricted free agent, has been training in his native Finland as well as Switzerland and Norway. His agent, Mike Liut, told the Denver Post that Rantanen “is likely… to arrive in Denver by Monday.
The Avalanche were playing their final preseason game Saturday in Dallas and open regular-season play Thursday against Calgary at the Pepsi Center.
Sunday is a scheduled day off.
Rantanen will make $12 million in each of the next two seasons, $10 million in 2021-22, $6 million in 2022-23, $9.5 million in 2023-24 and $6 million in 2024-25, after which he would be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
Nathan MacKinnon has been the Avalanche’s highest-paid player until now with an annual salary cap charge of $6.3 million. He has four years remaining on his contract.
Rantanen, who was the Avalanche’s first-round pick (No. 10) in the 2015 NHL draft, set career highs last season for goals (31), assists (56) and points (87) in 74 games. He missed the final eight regular-season games with an upper-body injury and returned in the playoffs, collecting 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 12 games.
He has 209 points (80 goals, 129 assists) in 239 NHL games with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 18 playoff games.