The plot thickens in Colorado as it is rumored that Mikko Rantanen is heading to Switzerland to skate with SC Bern of the Swiss National League. This is a sign that negotiations are not going well from Rantanen's camp's point of view and that the two sides are not close. While Rantanen training in Switzerland doesn't seem to be a real threat to the Avs, it still cannot be encouraging to fans that Rantanen may end up missing training camp and possibly the start of the regular season.
If that name sounds familiar, it's because Winnipeg Jets RFA, Patrik Laine, announced last week that he would be skating with SC Bern as well.
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Laine seems more likely to sign a bridge deal, in the neighborhood of Brock Boeser's deal, perhaps a higher AAV, while Rantanen could sign a similar contract to Mitch Marner in term, albeit slightly less in dollars.
With the RFA signings over the past few days, it is apparent that the pressure is on for teams to lock up their RFA's to avoid having them miss the start of the regular season. The time is now for GM Joe Sakic to pick up the phone and strike a deal with Rantanen to avoid having the big Fin missing camp altogether, which could lead to a slower start for Mikko than the team would like with the regular season right around the corner.
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