Sampo Ranta turns pro, adds another dynamic forward to the Colorado Eagles

It’s been very few surprises for the Colorado Avalanche with their college prospects so far as the two highest-profile players have been signed this week. First, Alex Newhook inked a deal with the Avs earlier in the week and just before game time tonight Sampo Ranta agreed to terms with the Avs on his three-year entry-level contract.

Ranta just completed a very strong junior year at the University of Minnesota as he finished second in the NCAA in goals with 19 and registered 31 points in 31 games.

The addition of Ranta to the Colorado Eagles gives them another dynamic offensive option, something that team has really lacked before the signings of Newhook and Ranta this week.

Listed at 6’2″ and 200 pounds, Ranta possesses great size but adds in high-end skating ability and lethal shooting ability to give the Avalanche a very intriguing forward to develop.

Drafted in the third round in 2018, Ranta was a player many around the league were enamored with due to his combination of size, skating, and skill but there were some hockey IQ questions lingering over his game. Much like their most recent third rounder, Jean-Luc Foudy, Ranta’s tools got him drafted but it was his hard work and impressive production that led to him signing his ELC.

In the world of comparing prospects to NHL players, I’ve always likened Ranta to Andre Burakovsky as they have many of the same strengths and weaknesses. The biggest difference between the two has been Burakovsky’s superior playmaking ability but Ranta possesses more of a power element to his game.

Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko talked frequently throughout the year about the work they’ve done with Ranta in trying to unlock his full potential as a high-scoring power forward. When you run back the myriad of goals where Ranta simply puts his head down, outskates the defenseman and cuts hard to the net and beats the goal, it’s clear Motzko’s message was getting through to Ranta.

Should that continue at the pro level, the Avalanche are going to have an absolute gem on their hands. Ranta represents part of the next wave of players who could reinforce the NHL club over the next two seasons as the Avs go through the rigors of rising internal salaries and a flat salary cap across the league.

While I wouldn’t expect Ranta to have the same kind of immediate impact as Newhook, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the more physically mature Ranta rolled into the AHL and didn’t look out of place at all.

The questions about his hockey IQ will persist, especially if he gets off to a slow start for the Eagles as he adjusts to the speed of the game. It will be very telling how he is able to translate his newfound willingness to drive the net and mix things up in the dirty areas of the ice.

From an organizational standpoint, Ranta isn’t a guy that we’d have in the mix for any kind of potential NHL action this year but he will have a chance to get some serious reps in with other Avalanche prospects.

Adding Ranta to Newhook, Foudy (for now), Shane Bowers, Martin Kaut and Conor Timmins and suddenly the Eagles are a hotbed for top Avs prospects. Without worrying about their translation to the NHL, it should at least be a very fun final month and a half or so of the AHL season as we see all these kids begin to get ice time together and provide glimpses of the NHL future.