Dater’s Daily Links: Mikko Rantanen’s “comparable” has been set

It was kind of lost in the conference call he did (one of the two he did on Monday actually), but Joe Sakic essentially tipped his hand in what he think Mikko Rantanen’s next salary should be, in the aftermath of the Sebastien Aho offer sheet from Montreal the other day.

Sakic said Aho is a big “comparable” to Rantanen as it relates to where slots in as his next contract cap hit. Aho, in case you missed it, was given a five-year offer sheet from Montreal, which Aho signed, that has an average annual value of $8.54 million. The Hurricanes matched it.

The comparables between Rantanen and Aho:

Rantanen, 22, 31 goals, 87 points last season for Avs.

Aho, 21, 30 goals, 83 points last season for Carolina.

Aho had 29 goals and 65 points the year before that, Rantanen had 29 goals and 84 points the year before. So, while Rantanen has the edge in stats from two years ago, not by much this past season (although Rantanen played eight fewer games than Aho, who played all 82 for the ‘Canes.

Rantanen might get a bit more on the AAV on his next deal because of that, but the Avs probably won’t want to go too much more – if at all – than $8.54 million. By the way, Leon Draisaitl of Edmonton is only 23 and posted 105 points last year, and his cap hit is $8.5 million. So, there’s another comparable the Avs will no doubt bring up at the negotiating table with Rantanen’s agent, former goalie Mike Liut.

Sakic wants to sign Rantanen to a long-term deal, but there has been some talk – and I’ve talked to Liut myself on this subject – that a bridge deal might be in order. We’ll see. Liut has become a very high-powered agent, with clients such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Draisaitl, Patrik Laine and Brock Boeser, among others.

I wouldn’t worry about some impasse. A deal will get done before the season.

Here’s a story from the Toronto Sun about the Kadri trade, by longtime writer Lance Hornby, who in his younger days was a dead ringer for actor Michael Caine.

I was watching the NHL Network yesterday, and analyst Brian Lawton, a former Lightning GM, thinks the Avs’ recent moves, along with their current roster, will make them a “Stanley Cup contender for the next several years.

Haven’t heard much about the status of Nikita Zadorov and any new contract with Avs. He’s eligible for arbitration later this month. That could be where this heads, but as of now I don’t know much about Big Z.

Interesting story here in Forbes, about the NHL’s next TV contract prospects.

Have a happy Fourth everyone.