Rantanen joined his teammates for practice on Monday and head coach Jared Bednar left open the possibility of him playing by this weekend. Rantanen will likely miss his 15th consecutive game on Wednesday but monitor his status ahead of their Friday/Saturday home-and-home with the Blackhawks.
Head coach Jared Bednar said he doesn't feel like it will be a "4-to-6 week" injury and expects him back sooner than that. The Avalanche have officially placed the "week-to-week" tag on him, so expect him to miss at least a couple of weeks. He will be re-evaluated after that and then you can expect another update from Colorado.
Rantanen suffered a pretty ugly looking lower-body injury in the first period of Monday’s game in St. Louis. Rantanen suffered a non-contact injury, twisting his knee while skating out of the offensive zone. Non-contact injuries are usually bad news but the Avalanche likely won’t release any further information until Rantanen is evaluated.
Rantanen missed training camp because of a contract holdout but was back on the ice with the Avalanche on Monday. After his first practice session, head coach Jared Bednar said that his star right-winger will play Thursday. Rantanen is scheduled to skate on the top-line with Nathan Mackinnon and Gabriel Landeskog and should have no issues topping 80 points for the third consecutive season.
Rantanen and the Avalanche came down to the wire but finally came to terms on a six-year deal. The soon-to-be 23-year old has posted back-to-back 80-plus point seasons, including 31 goals and 56 assists last year. He is expected to re-join the Avalanche and should be available for their season opener on Thursday.
Rantanen missed the final seven games of the regular season but is ready to play in Game 1 in Calgary. Rantanen had four assists in six playoff games a year ago and had three points (1G / 2A) in three games vs. the Flames this year.
Rantanen missed Tuesday’s game vs. the Sharks but will be back in tonight in St. Louis. Rantanen has just three assists in his last five games, but re-enters the lineup with 50 points (17G / 33A) in 51 games this season.
Rantanen was a game-time decision and didn’t end up playing last night vs. the Sharks. However the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, so Rantanen is expected to take part in the morning skate and they will make a decision on his status after that.
Rantanen’s status for tonight’s game was iffy on Monday and remains in question as he’s officially listed as a game-time decision. The Avalanche are already without Nathan MacKinnon, so losing two-thirds of their top-line would be a tough pill to swallow. Monitor Rantanen’s status when the Avalanche hit the ice for warmups at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Rantanen is “banged up” so his status for Tuesday’s game is up in the air. Keep an eye on Rantanen’s status during tomorrow’s morning skate, but Colin Wilson is expected to skate with Alexander Kerfoot and Gabriel Landeskog if Ratanen can’t play.
Rantanen played on a four-game conditioning stint with San Antonio (AHL), where he had two assists. Rantanen has been recalled to make his season debut and it will come on the top-line with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.
Rantanen battled an ankle injury throughout the preseason and is expected to go back to the AHL, as basically a conditioning stint, before he will likely return to the Avalanche when he’s back up to speed. The 19-year-old had 60 points (24G / 36A) in 52 games with San Antonio last season.
Rantanen returned in a no-contact jersey, but it was his first practice session since he suffered an ankle injury in a rookie showcase back on September 17th. Rantanen is expected to have a secured spot with the Avalanche this season and is targeting a return for their season opener next Saturday.
