John Leyba / The Denver Post)
DENVER — Mikko Rantanen no longer is dubbed a prized Avalanche prospect. Starting Tuesday — after a minor-league rehabilitation stint from an ankle injury during rookie camp — the flashy 6-foot-4 Finnish forward is deemed 100 percent Burgundy and Blue.
Rantanen, 19, might never again play in a professional league outside the NHL, and the Avs showed how much they believe in the youngster Tuesday by putting him on a line with center Nathan MacKinnon.
MacKinnon and Rantanen were Colorado's first-round draft picks in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and they practiced Tuesday with left winger Mikhail Grigorenko, a first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2012.