In the most recent episode of Ikan änäri, there was talk of, among other things, the World Youth Championships, “Kuopion Jut”, i.e. Valtteri Puustisencoach firings and About Patrick Kane and the sorrows of Detroit.
The real pushing and pulling after the big load began Mikko Rantase in the fall of 2021. Below were three bitter playoff disappointments, but at the time, Colorado was really meant to take a decisive step toward the Stanley Cup.
Of course, Rantanen played a significant role in this. The average playing time increased to 21 minutes in the regular season, up by a minute from the previous season.
Colorado and why didn’t Turku in Finland also get Rantanen and on that side Artturi Lehkonen through the climax he wants for his story. Denver celebrated the championship in June 2022.
However, the following years have not reduced the burden of the Turku star, rather the opposite. Immediately after the party buzz, Colorado learned how the salary cap treats championship teams: you have to give up a lot.
The waiver and a few injuries to important players have put Colorado in a difficult position during the previous couple of seasons. And no one harder than Mikko Ranta.
Last season saw a phase in which Rantanen was practically the only Colorado star player who got his feet wet for a while. It was really crowded in Lasaret. And Rantanen did grate. The game times were between 25 and 29 minutes, when Rantanen, for example, in December 2022 practically single-handedly brought down St. Louis.
The match is one of the most spectacular of Rantanen’s NHL career.
The responsibility was enough, the lamp burned and the profits came, but the candle certainly burned at both ends. The head coach Jared Bednar increased Rantanen’s playing time for the last season, partly due to circumstances, from the championship season by more than a minute per match.
In the spring, however, the bet was not enough as a collective after a broken season.
Belt even tighter
As incredible as it seems, the belt has been tightened even more this season. While Rantanen already played more than 22 minutes per match last season, now the average has been raised again by almost half a minute per match. As of this writing, Rantanen’s playing time average is 37 seconds over 22 minutes.
In December alone, Rantanen’s playing time has exceeded 24 minutes five times, at his best it went over 28 minutes.
There’s no reason to question Rantanen’s athleticism or physical levels, but it’s okay to ask if the mangle of the years is starting to show in the Turku star’s playing?
It is clear that the best and freshest Mikko Ranta has not been seen in the rink this season. And this is not even a criticism. Rantä has under six seasons that have reached the playoffs, of which at least the last four have been very true in terms of the pursuit of the championship. Everything has been put into Liko. In the summer of 2022, the last drop of soul remained on the ice.
In the previous four seasons, only Edmonton Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have played more NHL hockey than Rantas.
And let’s not forget that Rantanen is listed on the NHL website at 215 pounds, i.e. almost a hundred kilograms. Rantanen is not a modern, compact pocket rocket of the new era by Jack Hughes in the style of. Rantanen is a big power attacking bull whose style of play includes grinding in front of the goals and in the corners. It consumes.
Against all of the above, it is not a big surprise if the mangle of the years has started to be felt in Rantanen’s members. Especially when the load is constantly being increased.
And still, the TPS-raised player knocks the result with an average of more than a point per match, once again aiming for the phantom limit of one hundred power points. This says the essential about Rantase as an athlete and hockey player.
The coaching staff is still playing with fire. If the belt tightening continues, Rantanen will be driven to the end. When the strain is constantly increasing and recovery becomes more and more challenging in the merciless match schedule, the risks of injury also increase significantly.
The club management is also responsible
Of course, the club management is also responsible for the situation at hand. It is undeniable that Colorado is not a championship-caliber team at this point in terms of material. The stars of the first basket have to be played even against the teams at the tail end, because there is not enough quality in the background. There will probably be additions to the roster.
Captain by Gabriel Landeskog and the serious injuries of Artturi Lehkonen, profiled as an irreplaceable soul player, have only worsened the situation.
Other top teams don’t gamble with their stars like Colorado.
Look at Dallas, Vegas, Florida, Rangers or even Los Angeles. Almost without exception, these key forwards average less than twenty minutes of ice time. Alexander Barkov plays almost three minutes less per match than Rantanen.
This way, you will have fuel for the spring championship push.
With these steps, Colorado does not need to dream of a championship in the spring. Or of course you can dream.