The MGM Line is back in business as smiling Rantanen returns to work
Mikko Rantanen was welcomed to the ice with a stick tap from teammates Monday. The Avalanche’s all-star right-winger had his first practice with the club just three days ahead of its regular-season opener.
Rantanen rejoined linemates Nathan MacKinnon and Gabe Landeskog on the MGM Line and the No. 1 power play, and came into the locker room after practice with a giant smile.
“I’ve been waiting for this, pretty much since training camp started,” Rantanen said. “I know, the negotiation, it’s all business. But I’m really happy to be here.”
Rantanen, who missed all of training camp and preseason because he was without a contract coming out of his entry-level deal, signed a six-year, $55.5 million contract Saturday. He’ll make a $12 million salary — second-highest in club history — this season and in 2020-21. His annual cap hit is $9.25 million.
Avs coach Jared Bednar said “the energy was up today” because of Rantanen’s return and the 6-foot-4 Finn will definitely be in Thursday’s opening-night lineup against the visiting Calgary Flames.
“He changes a lot of things, right? He’s an elite player and you slot him in on the first line and everyone gets bumped down a little better and not just makes our first line better, it makes all of our lines better,” Bednar said of Rantanen. “We love him as a person. We love him as a teammate. He’s excited to be here long-term and all of the guys — the guys who play with him, his teammates, the coaching staff — everyone is excited to have him back.”
Rantanen’s return moved newcomer Joonas Donskoi down the depth chart, but still likely in the top-six. Donskoi had been playing with MacKinnon and Landeskog.
Rantanen said he landed in Denver at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. He was training in Switzerland until Friday before traveling to his native Finland, where he learned the deal had been struck.
“I was expecting less — less energy today. But I felt surprisingly good,” Rantanen said of his first practice.
Landeskog, the team captain, joked that Rantanen got “lucky” to miss all of training camp and preseason. But in truth, Landeskog and others were worried that the “Big Moose” would miss Thursday’s opener against visiting Calgary.
“We’re very happy to have him back — very exciting to see him back on the ice today,” Landeskog said.
Said MacKinnon: “It’s great. He’s so talented. It (stinks) it went this long, but he’s back now. He hasn’t missed a step at all. He looks really good. So it’s awesome to have him back.” Footnotes. The Avs waived defenseman Kevin Connauton on Sunday for the purpose of reassigning him to the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. But Connauton never made it to Loveland, as the team changed its mind and told him to practice with the Avs on Monday. Forward Jayson Megna was placed on waivers Monday morning, and he, too, practiced with the Avs. … Forward Valeri Nichushkin returned from a bruised foot and practiced on the fourth line with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Calvert. … The Avs must get down to their 23-man opening-night roster Tuesday.