Colorado Avalanche Top 25 Under 25: #10 Sampo Ranta

This third-round draft pick is healthy and eyeing a season with the big club.

The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Mile High Hockey staff. Eight writers have ranked players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2022 in the Colorado Avalanche organization. Each participant used their own metric of value to rank each player. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.

Sampo Ranta has come a long way since being the 78th overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft. We saw him begin to show real signs of improvement during his time at the University of Minnesota, particularly in his junior season when he scored 31 points in 31 games and was named as a first-team All-American. That improvement was enough for him to make his NHL debut right after signing his Entry Level Contract in 2021 when even got to participate in playoff hockey against the Vegas Golden Knights.

2020 and 2021 were significant years for Sampo and his development. He found more and more success in the Big Ten and earned a spot on the Finnish World Junior squad in 2020.

Unfortunately, Ranta’s time in the NHL has been limited and slightly underwhelming. He’s played in 12 big league games, including two playoff appearances, but hasn’t wound up on the scoresheet and sits goalless, assistless, and at -5 with the Avalanche.

The Avs lost a bit of forward depth and could use a big body like Ranta’s in their bottom six. He brings true athletic gifts to the table as a power forward who can skate and drive the net. That said, he will have to stand out in camp and show improvement in preseason games to get a look in the NHL.

Ranta battled injuries with the Eagles last season, which impacted his success. Hopefully, with a full bill of health, he can get back to improving. A few teams had their eyes on him amidst last season’s trade deadline madness leading some to believe Sakic could use him to fill the 2C role via trade. That doesn’t seem viable, given Colorado’s current cap situation. To bring in a true 2C, the Avalanche will have to send a roster player with a substantial AAV. Ranta doesn’t fit that bill, although he could be used as a sweetener.

2022 Top 25 Under 25

#11: Martin Kaut

#12: Alex Beaucage

#13: Mikhail Maltsev

#14: Shane Bowers

#15: Colby Ambrosio

#16: Danila Zhuravlyov

#17: Andrei Buyalsky

#18: Matthew Steinburg

#19: Nikolai Kovalenko

#20 Trent Miner

#21: Keaton Middleton

#21: Wyatt Aamodt

#23: Taylor Makar

#24: Nathan Clurman

#25: Ivan Zhigalov