Sampo Ranta

May 2024 – Year one of a sabbatical in Sweden went moderately well for Ranta, who managed a respectable 17 goals in 50 games. Unfortunately he hasn’t made significant gains on the defensive side of his game, which will need to be a focus in 2024-25 if he hopes to return to North American pro after that once his Swedish deal expires. Hayden Soboleski

May 2023 – Ranta has signed a 2-year deal in Sweden beginning in 2023-24. Given his current RFA status the Avs can still choose to issue a qualifying offer and retain his rights for when his Swedish deal expires. The big forward now becomes an even longer-term stash for fantasy purposes. Hayden Soboleski

May 2023 – Ranta’s 2022-23 campaign ended with 11 goals and 22 points in 58 games. His shot volume remained at over 2 per game on the year (increasing in the second half) which is a mild positive after a disappointing finish with zero points in five playoff showings. The winger finished the season playing primarily in the bottom-six, which makes his point totals understandable. He seems to be being groomed for this type of role should he make the jump to the NHL in the next year or two, so fantasy owners should have tempered expectations if that happens. Hayden Soboleski

December 2022 – Ranta was expected to be a leader on the AHL Eagles in his second full season with the club, but injuries to the Avalanche have led to half the team being called-up as fill-ins which has left Ranta to carry much more of a burden. This has led to some of his best hockey of the season. After starting the campaign on a 9-game pointless drought, he has put up 6 points in 5 games since his workload has increased. He has increased his shooting volume from 1 SOG/game to 3 SOG/game and been a positive +/- player in that stretch as well. This is good news for fantasy owners worried about upside, but also raises the questions – is Ranta only valuable as a top-six forward? This would be a concern because his NHL prospects likely max out as a third-liner. Keep an eye on his performance to see if he can keep this up once the roster gets back to normal. Hayden Soboleski

September 2022 – Ranta has been reassigned from the Avs pre-season roster to the AHL Eagles after three exhibition games. Although the 6-02, 195lb 22-year-old was credited with 11 hits in those games, he is still learning how to use his size effectively in pro and was often out-muscled or out-battled by far smaller players, being generally less effective on the forecheck than others competing for bottom-six roster spots. He also maintained a pass-first mentality in the offensive zone. Despite flashes of all aspects of the complete package Ranta can be one day, another year in the AHL will be needed to continue bringing it together into a more dynamic forward. Bigger forwards are always longer-term investments in fantasy, so practice patience here – cups of coffee on the Avs are possible this season and 2023 training camp will be his expected push for a full-time spot. Hayden Soboleski

March 2022 – Ranta has missed half a dozen games with a foot injury with no timetable for a return. The big winger hasn’t seen any more NHL call-ups and hasn’t been blowing the doors off the AHL by any means with seven goals and 14 points in 38 games played. His shot volume is up to just under 2/game which is good to see, and he’s picking enough PIMs to have multi-cat potential once he becomes a more consistent scorer and gets another look with the Avs. The team will be expecting a push from him in 2022 training camp. Hayden Soboleski

November 2021 – The Avs have returned Ranta to the AHL Eagles. Through his ten-game audition he managed nine SOG, nine hits, and six blocks but no points, despite several games on the second powerplay unit and ice time in the 15-minute range on some occasions. Fantasy owners are going to have to wait for the big forward to become more of a play driver and hope he can get a little hotter during his next audition. Let’s see if he can make the same splash in the AHL as he did during his quick debut last season. Hayden Soboleski

October 2021 – Ranta has made the Avalanche out of camp and is already providing strong peripheral stats for fantasy owners. Pointless through 4 games, he has put up a SOG, hit, and block per game. His ice time is low at just 12 minutes per night, but it is being spent with middle-six personnel so he will need to start hitting the score sheet if he wants to hold onto his position. He’s seeing secondary PP time so the team clearly believes he will break the goose egg soon. Hayden Soboleski

September 2021 – The AHL Eagles might have the most exciting offense they’ve had in years thanks, in part, to Ranta turning pro. In his 16-game debut at the end of 2020-21, the big Finn put up 5 goals and 4 assists with over 1 SOG/game, not bad for a first impression. Not only that, but he got a brief NHL call-up where he got the chance to practice with the best of the best (but saw very little ice time). He may see the odd call-up this season but expect him to spend the majority of his time in the AHL to refine his pro game. He has been a long-term investment, but like many power-forwards, the payoff could be tremendous if he can sustain his play over a full year. Hayden Soboleski

April 2021 – Ranta has signed a three-year ELC and will be joining the AHL Eagles. Let’s see how quickly he adapts to pro – the college level took a few years for him to adjust fully but it was well worth the wait, as is often the case with larger players. Hayden Soboleski

March 2021 – At the conclusion of the regular season, Ranta has been named to the Big 10 First Team. This is a well-deserved honor as the junior put up 18 goals and 28 points in 28 games played, leading his team. His 100 SOG also led the team, and while his 18% shooting rate looks like a red flag, only 3 of his 18 goals came on the man-advantage which should help legitimize his scoring prowess. After his post-season finishes he is ready to turn pro when he and the Avs are ready for an injection to the AHL Eagles. Hayden Soboleski

January 2021 – Like most larger skaters, Ranta has taken his time developing into a consistent power forward. Patience has paid off – now in his third NCAA season with Minnesota, he leads the team with 9 goals and 12 points through 13 games played. Only 2 of those goals have been with the man-advantage, and he is averaging just under 4 SOG/game in addition. This is a taste of just how powerful Ranta could be in the pros, but just like he adapted to college, we will require some patience once he turns pro and once again learns how to use this power responsibly. Hayden Soboleski

March 2020 – Ranta has committed to the University of Minnesota for the 2020-21 season. His 2019-20 campaign put him on a lot of radars than had previously omitted him thanks to a strong WJC and a more obvious presence in the NCAA. His point-per-game rate has risen slightly, but more importantly he is seeing more important minutes, he doubled his shot volume, reduced his PIMs, and put on extra weight while remaining very fast. He is a fantasy riser right now and is a contender to turn pro at the conclusion of his next NCAA campaign if he wants to. Hayden Soboleski

January 2020 – Ranta spent most of the 2020 WJC tournament in the bottom-six for Team Finland, but his 6 points in 7 contests was good for T-4th on the squad and he was among the top performers in the final elimination matches. Finland lost a lot of firepower to injury and Ranta stepped up, and was one of the players on the ice in the final minutes of the bronze medal game with the goalie pulled. A successful tournament for the prospect, let’s hope he carries that momentum into the second half of his college season. Hayden Soboleski

December 2019 – Good news for Avs fans and fantasy owners – Ranta’s exceptional summer showcase performance was indeed a sign of things to come. In 18 NCAA games so far (half the total he played in 2018-19) he has surpassed last campaign’s goal total (now at 7) and is closing in on his previous point total (16, currently at 11, tied for the team lead). He is shooting way more (nearly 3 SOG per game) so his newfound goal total is not unsustainable. The sophomore is also seeing more powerplay time where is putting up roughly half his goals. These are all extremely strong vital signs for a player we already knew was talented, and is now putting it together. Hayden Soboleski

August 2019 – It is dangerous to put too much stock into a summer tournament, but Sampo Ranta had an outstanding World Junior Summer Showcase for Team Finland. He showed off his wicked shot, general ability to finish off plays, and had high energy consistently throughout the tournament. If he performs like that in the NCAA this season, he will be joining the pro ranks sooner than anticipated. Hayden Soboleski

April 2019 – 16 points in 36 games was not an offensive breakout by any means, but Ranta finished the season stronger than he started. Despite having an above-average shot, his shooting volume needs to go way up before he’ll become a fantasy-relevant scorer (55 SOG is not nearly enough). Expect better production once he a) gets more shot attempts and b) receives real PP time (hopefully as a sophomore). Hayden Soboleski

February 2019 – Ranta was among the final cuts for Team Finland at the WJCs. He has remained in Minnesota, putting up 11 points in 25 games so far. He will require another year or two of seasoning and more meaningful NCAA minutes before pushing for a pro deal, so don’t draft expecting quick returns. Hayden Soboleski

December 2018 – Ranta has been invited to Team Finland camp for the upcoming WJCs. With 6 points in 14 NCAA games, his rookie season hasn’t been a breakout one, but his tools still make him a dangerous weapon if he does make the Finish squad. Hayden Soboleski

November 2018 – Early in his first NCAA season, Ranta is looking strong with 3 points in 4 games. He’s making good use of his excellent wrist shot; time will tell is he can maintain his pace as a reliable goal-scorer. Hayden Soboleski

June 2018 – The Avalanche used their second 3rd-round pick on Finnish (but living in USA) winger Sampo Ranta. At 78th overall, this was the expected range for Ranta to be picked in.

Ranta has spent his last two seasons in the USHL, where he has put up decent scoring numbers. The fact that he’s very physically developed for his age certainly helps give him an advantage in the junior game. He scores and battles enough to prove a worthy gamble, but not enough to be a sure bet, but the fact that he has North American experience and International Tournament experience (U-18s) is an advantage. He has committed to the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA for 2018-19, and expect at least two years of development there. Not worth fantasy drafting yet until we see how he fares in the NCAA. Hayden Soboleski