Philadelphia Flyers #7: C/RW Mikko Rantanen (TPS – Liiga)
Original Pick #7: D Ivan Provorov (Brandon Wheat Kings – WHL)
Though you can’t go wrong with either player at No. 7 overall, Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche superstar, is more favorable due to his high-end offensive production that’s matched by only a handful of players in the NHL.
Rantanen played the entire 2014-15 season in Finland’s top professional league, Liiga, for Turun Palloseura (TPS) as a 17-year old, after being called up for the club’s U20 development team. In 56 games he finished second on the team in scoring with 9 goals and 19 assists.
A forward who stands 6’4″ – 216 lbs, possessed elite playmaking abilities and smooth skating, and proved to be a potential star in the NHL even at a young age. Playing that entire season with the most talented players in Finland showed he’s destined for the ‘Show.
The Philadelphia Flyers are a team that has quality depth in their lineup but lacks stardom in their top lines on offense. Had the Flyers drafted Mikko Rantanen at 7th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, the Broad Street Bullies would be an entirely different team than we see today.
In his sixth year with the Colorado Avalanche, Rantanen proudly wears the “A” for the team while nearly averaging a point per game through 381 games with the NHL team. In the last two seasons, he’s scored 56 goals and 71 assists (127 points) in 100 games. At 25-years of age, Mikko Rantanen is quickly becoming a household name in the league. No wonder the Avs pay him nine and a quarter sheets per year.