There is a new name on top on the NHL scoring race tonight after Colorado easily dispatched Ottawa 6-3, Mikko Rantanen. The 10th overall pick from the 2015 entry draft has risen continually up the scoring charts since entering the league. He had 38 points in his rookie season, had 84 last year and has already racked up 20 through 11 games this season.
Rantanen has been quietly becoming a superstar while no one was paying attention. He's coming out of a loaded draft year with players like Connor McDavis, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Noah Hanifin, Kyle Connor, Sebastian Aho, Brock Boeser and Mathew Barzal. It's been a while since one draft year has produced that level of talent and lost in all the hype for McDavid and Eichel is Mikko Rantanen, who right now is towering above the whole league in scoring.
Rantanen hasn't had to do all the heavy lifting as he has two very talented linemates in Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog was the #3 pick in the 2011 draft, while MacKinnon went first overall in 2013. It seems like Colorado has a thing for drafting talented players every other year. Nathan MacKinnon is easily one of the best players in the league so I'm sure that has helped Rantanen but you don't get 20 points in 11 games just from being MacKinnon's wingman.
Colorado is 7-2-2 on the season and Mikko Rantanen has been a major contributor to that record so far. Right now on Sports Club Stats Colorado is being given a 86% chance of making the playoffs, a pretty high number for only being 11 games into the season but when you have a start like Colorado it's warranted. I'm excited to see how Colorado fairs as the season wears on. They have a very talented core and are playing lights out right now. Just how far can Rantanen lead to Avalanche?