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Bednar hopes Rantanen in camp soon |
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Rick Sadowski
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As expected, Mikko Rantanen is still a restricted free agent and was a no-show at the Pepsi Center on Thursday when the Avalanche reported to training camp for medicals and physical testing.
“Certainly he’s a great player for us and we’d love to have him in camp,” coach Jared Bednar said of Rantanen, who plays right wing on the top line with center Nathan MacKinnon and left wing Gabriel Landeskog. “He’s obviously not here, so the focus for me and our team shifts to the guys who are here and in our locker room that can help us prepare for the first day of the regular season (and) establish the habits we need going through training camp and into the regular season.
“We’re certainly hopeful that he’ll join us at some point. As of now we have a job to do to get ready for the season, and that’s the way I look at it. Will we address it as a team? I’ve already talked to a lot of our veteran players, guys that know Mikko, guys that played last year, about it.
“As individuals they have a job to do to get ready (and) as a team we do as well, and hopefully we can get Mikko in and bring him up to speed quickly and getting him joining us for the regular season. That’d be a nice goal for us.”
When Rantanen does sign a new contract – you have to assume he eventually will – he’s expected to become the highest-paid player on the team, passing MacKinnon, who has four years remaining on his deal with an annual average value of $6.3 million.
Rantanen, 22, had an NHL career-high 87 points (31 goals, 56 assists) in 74 games last season and 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 12 Stanley Cup playoff games.
“We know Mikko wants to be here,” MacKinnon said. “There are so many RFAs not signed. (I talked to him) a little bit, not about contract, just as a friend of mine.”
Said Landeskog: “I honestly don't think we're too worried about it. It's going to get sorted out. You look around the league, he's not the only one. Obviously, you miss him. We're not too worried about it.”
Bednar said Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi would be his top choices to replace Rantanen on the No. 1 line if his contract negotiations drag out.
Burakovsky, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals on June 28, had 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 76 games last season. Donskoi, who signed a four-year contract July 1 as an unrestricted free agent, had 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 80 games with the San Jose Sharks.
“(Burakovsky’s) a guy that’s played with skillful players before, superstar players before, and he’s done a nice job at times with them,” Bednar said. “He’s a guy that’s joining a new organization and is looking for more opportunity.
“I think a guy like Donskoi fits that too. We have some guys that played sporadically with those guys in the past, like a (J.T.) Compher, (Tyson) Jost. We’ll play with it a little bit in exhibition, but I certainly would like to give a good look at a couple of the new guys there.”
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MacKinnon on the Avalanche’s high expectations after taking San Jose to seven games in the second round of the playoffs last season:
“It’s nice to have some pressure, we’re not just the bad Avs or whatever anymore. We’re a contender (and) that’s fine. I mean, I think we all want pressure, it’s no fun coming in as an underdog; it got kind of old. The best teams have pressure on them, it’s good.”
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While defenseman Ian Cole could be out until December as he recovers from hips surgery, Bednar sounded optimistic that defenseman Erik Johnson and forward Colin Wilson (both had shoulder surgery) will be available for the Oct. 3 season opener against Calgary.
“Wilson and Erik Johnson will be skating in training camp come (Friday), barring anything unforeseen,” Bednar said. “They’ve both been progressing really well. We’re hopeful that they’ll be able to jump in similar to (Nikita) Zadorov and (Patrik) Nemeth last year at the end of training camp and be able to participate in non-contact jerseys and then ramp up to taking the physical play and then hopefully getting into some exhibition games before the start of the regular season.”
As for Cole: “He’s still on schedule and possibly creeping ahead of schedule, but he won’t be skating with the group for the start of training camp. He’s still not there yet.”
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The Avalanche open a six-game preseason schedule Tuesday against Vegas at the Pepsi Center at 7 p.m.
Here’s the schedule for the first four days of on-ice sessions (all times MT) at Family Sports. Admission is free and open to the public.
Friday
Group 1 on ice: 8:15 -- 10:15 a.m.
Group 2 on ice: 10:25 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m.
Saturday
Group 2 on ice: 8:45 -- 10:45 a.m.
Group 1 on ice: 10:55 a.m. -- 1 p.m.
Sunday
Group 1 on ice: 8:15 -- 10:15 a.m.
Group 2 on ice: 10:25 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m.
Monday
Group 2 on ice: 9 -- 10:15 a.m.
Group 1 on ice: 11 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m.
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