The Colorado Avalanche and superstar winger Mikko Rantanen are at an impasse in contract extension negotiations, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported on Thursday's Amazon "Coast to Coast" broadcast.
Rantanen's camp is seeking a deal in the range of Leon Draisaitl's record-setting $14-million annual cap hit, while the Avalanche are hoping Rantanen will agree to a number closer to Nathan MacKinnon's team-leading $12.6-million figure.
Rantanen can ink an extension at any point and will hit unrestricted free agency if he doesn't do so by July 1. The Avalanche have no interest in moving Rantanen if a pact isn't agreed upon by March's trade deadline, Seravalli notes, and negotiations are expected to pick back up during the 4 Nations Face-Off break in early February.
Finland chose Rantanen as one of its first six players last summer. He's likely to enter the tournament as his country's top scorer, as he came into Thursday's game sitting sixth in the NHL with 61 points in 45 games.
Rantanen's earned $9.25 million per season since the 2019-20 campaign and is due for a significant raise. He ranks ninth among all players over the span of his current contract with 469 points in 376 games, and he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022 with a 25-point postseason.
Colorado drafted Rantanen 10th overall in 2015.
