Rantanen vs Necas points race to end of season.

[PeteEakins]

Canucks will throw serious money at Rantanen in the summer. JR likes to go big game hunting.

He has to want to play there - don't get your hopes up.

CASE IN POINT: Guentzel, Jake.

You cleared all that cap room last summer for one player only to end up with the wrong Jake. Cap room is only useful if players want to play there.

 

[Frobbo]

We've seen consistently over the past five years that a team who plays defense and has 3 guys waiting at the blue line renders the Aves entire attack useless.

Necas is just more of the same who will try to deke through an entire team and give the puck away.

When the Aves are out in five games in the first round their fanbase will be begging to trade Necas.

Didn't this happen WITH Miko too?

 

[DKH]

That has been my year long dream. Such a perfect fit on the B's. Not that I mind him playing with MacK or Makar at all.lol

I know how tight he is with Pastrnak and I figured this was going to work out well ~ going to Colorado is concerning

Hopefully Pastrnak can keep him on a path to Boston

 

[Czechboy]

I know how tight he is with Pastrnak and I figured this was going to work out well ~ going to Colorado is concerning

Hopefully Pastrnak can keep him on a path to Boston

Next year at 6.5 is such a bargain for him. I think that was lost in this trade. I even asked when the trade happened and several posters told me they rather have rants at 14M then Necas at 6.5. I tend to disagree with that take.

 

[flyfysher]

Next year at 6.5 is such a bargain for him. I think that was lost in this trade. I even asked when the trade happened and several posters told me they rather have rants at 14M then Necas at 6.5. I tend to disagree with that take.

Oh it was discussed on the Avs forum. Necas’ salary offers the Avs flexibility to get depth so you can roll 4 lines in the POs. Brings more balance to the team and potential for Necas to play different positions.

 

[BullLund]

Necas is better defensively imo. Rantanen has a better one timer. He technically should be able to score more goals than necas but I don’t think Carolina has the play makers to utilize this to its full extent.

He may be, but I think Rantanen can be better than he has shown, it's just that when players play such big minutes they tend to develop habits like taking the foot off the gas at certain opportune times in order to conserve energy for the long stretch. Carolina plays people more equally, and is more focused on defense overall, so I think those bad habits will be addressed to some degree.

Did you see Necas's first 2 months! He was around 2 .ppg and leading the NHL in scoring. I know because I started a thread about it.lol

The rest I agree... I like Canes but it does feel like scoring the big goal in the important game is a area of concern for them. Obviously, Rants has a great history of scoring in the big games! Avs loved him in that cup run.

Well, like I said, usually. Not always. Necas's streak is why he's currently in Colorado, and Rantanen in Carolina. I'm sure a lot of teams took note that if this guy can score at such a pace in Carolina, he'd probably be a great fit anywhere else, too.

 

[Felidae]

Ok but how does Rantanen look beyond the statline?

Is his play actually struggling or does he look good but the points just haven't come?

 

[redandyellowcametobe]

yeah you don’t understand it appears. Did yo7 know you that you can drive play and generate good chances and not score goals and assists?

As someone that has maybe missed 5 Mikko games ever.. if he isn’t putting up points, he’s not doing a darn thing. The beauty of Mikko is he can be completely disinterested and to the eye test have a bad game but somehow put up 3 points.

He doesn’t drive play. He’s elite at going to a soft ice and waiting for a play driver to get him the puck. He isn’t physical, he doesn’t enter the zone, his NZ play is average at best and he’s borderline liability in his own zone and in OT

If Rantanen isn’t scoring… he’s absolutely useless and that’s not an opinion

 

[forsbergavs32]

The thing I’ve noticed with Necas is that he’s on a line with Mack but he’s actually driving the offense quite a bit and creating scoring chances, been a nice change see Mack not having to create everything.

That said, I still think Mikko will get it going. He’s better than his points total with the Canes right now.

 

[FinPanda]

As someone that has maybe missed 5 Mikko games ever.. if he isn’t putting up points, he’s not doing a darn thing. The beauty of Mikko is he can be completely disinterested and to the eye test have a bad game but somehow put up 3 points.

He doesn’t drive play. He’s elite at going to a soft ice and waiting for a play driver to get him the puck. He isn’t physical, he doesn’t enter the zone, his NZ play is average at best and he’s borderline liability in his own zone and in OT

If Rantanen isn’t scoring… he’s absolutely useless and that’s not an opinion

He has been better than his stats show for Carolina, thats for sure. I've watched all his Carolina games.

 

[north21]

As someone that has maybe missed 5 Mikko games ever.. if he isn’t putting up points, he’s not doing a darn thing. The beauty of Mikko is he can be completely disinterested and to the eye test have a bad game but somehow put up 3 points.

He doesn’t drive play. He’s elite at going to a soft ice and waiting for a play driver to get him the puck. He isn’t physical, he doesn’t enter the zone, his NZ play is average at best and he’s borderline liability in his own zone and in OT

If Rantanen isn’t scoring… he’s absolutely useless and that’s not an opinion

Yep you don't trade for 100 point players so you can brag about the little things they do away from the puck.

Sometimes the shock of a trade can throw you off your game, other guys get into new situations and do great. Roll of the dice, long term things will even out and be fine.

Still crazy this trade happens right before the big cap announcement. You have to wonder if they knew and did it anyway or if they were as surprised as the rest of us

 

[Czechboy]

He’s better than his points total with the Canes right now.

1000%

 

[Czechboy]

This is a fun watch for me!

 

[Boxscore]

Avs are flying again tonight and Necas looks outstanding. He almost had a gorgeous apple on a brilliant pass to Makar who just missed. 0 points so far tonight, but heavily in the mix and MacKinnon has 1 and 2 already.

 

[Czechboy]

Avs are flying again tonight and Necas looks outstanding. He almost had a gorgeous apple on a brilliant pass to Makar who just missed. 0 points so far tonight, but heavily in the mix and MacKinnon has 1 and 2 already.

He was on the ice for all 3 goals and got nothing.lol Come on!

 

[Eltuna]

Necas is better than I thought he was, he looks like a 100 point player to me. Definitely helps that the Avs system is a perfect fit for him

 

[Crossfire Hurricane]

As someone that has maybe missed 5 Mikko games ever.. if he isn’t putting up points, he’s not doing a darn thing. The beauty of Mikko is he can be completely disinterested and to the eye test have a bad game but somehow put up 3 points.

He doesn’t drive play. He’s elite at going to a soft ice and waiting for a play driver to get him the puck. He isn’t physical, he doesn’t enter the zone, his NZ play is average at best and he’s borderline liability in his own zone and in OT

If Rantanen isn’t scoring… he’s absolutely useless and that’s not an opinion

He plays smarter, not harder. But we've seen him do both and it's frustrating that he doesn't do it all the time.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

The real winner was Cale. Rants leaving left room for him to step up.

6 goals, 4 assists in 8 games compared to Nate with 2 goals and 8 assists.