A look at Colorado Avalanche's first round pick: Mikko Rantanen

On June 26th, 2015 the Colorado Avalanche made their way to the stage at the 2015 NHL Draft, and with the 10th overall chose Mikko Rantanen. This is exactly where Bob McKenzie thought he would land. It is also the player that MHH took in SB Nation's Mock Draft.

The Finnish 18 year old is 6'4, and already weighs 212 pounds. Ranked number 1 by NHL Central Scouting of EU skaters. Hot Wheels, as he is known to some of his teammates, is known to be a talented playmaker with elite-level hockey sense. He was an alternate captain for TPS in Finland in this past season, which is impressive given it is a men's league.

Rantanen has typically played right wing; however, he has made comments recently that he would be willing to play left wing if it meant a position in the NHL, as he played left wing in his younger days. He patterns his style of play after Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Mikko Koivu of the Minnesota Wild.

Rantanen is known for using his big size in front of the net and on the boards. He also uses his size to his advantage when he has the puck, effectively shielding the puck from his opponents. Even with his size, he is more of a skilled winger and less power forward. He is also known to be defensively-sound, and good in all three zones. He is a solid player, that turned heads at the World Junior Championship.

It comes as no surprise that Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, and Alan Hepple drafted him when they saw he was still available.

Welcome to the Colorado Avalanche.