The details of the contract negotiations between Restricted Free Agent Mikko Rantanen and Avs GM Joe Sakic have been pretty scarce throughout most of the negotiation process right up until the Mitch Marner signing occurred.
Following the Marner signing (6 years with a $10.893M AAV), Rantanen's Agent, Mike Liut, has identified Mitch Marner as Mikko's closest comparable on the market, presumably setting the pair's ask at around $10.8 Million.
With the team's best player undoubtedly being Nathan MacKinnon, who earns a very team-friendly $6.3 Million AAV through 2023/2024, it obviously complicates things from the team's perspective, as it is doubtful that Sakic and company want to pay Rantanen around $4.5 Million more than the team's best player.
On Friday morning, Ryan S. Clark, Colorado Avalanche reporter for The Athletic, revealed the team is seeking a long-term extension with Rantanen, in the neighborhood of $8.4M - $8.75M AAV over 6-8 seasons.
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Now that we know exactly how large the gap is between the team and the player, it gives us all a better picture of why the negotiations are taking as long as they are. This does not seem like a situation that will have a quick resolution. On one side, the team does not want to go above a $9 million AAV. On the other side, the player does not want to sign for below his perceived market value. With a near $2 million gap between the team and the player, it is looking more and more likely that these negotiations may carry over into the regular season.
