Pros and Cons of Mikko Rantanen as Possible Carolina Hurricanes Draft Pick

Of the plethora of highly touted forwards in the projected top 10 of the 2015 NHL draft, Mikko Rantanen is almost certainly the least discussed.

It's hard to get a comparative reading on Rantanen's 2014-15 season because of his location. The 18-year-old Finn does not play in the OHL, where almost all players are under 21 and 100-point seasons are commonplace, but rather in the Finnish Liiga against professional opposition.

Rantanen tallied nine goals and 19 assists in 56 appearances for TPS, a 28-point total that hardly rivals the flashy totals of OHL forwards like Connor McDavid, Mitchell Marner or even the relatively scoring-maligned Lawson Crouse.

The 6'4", 209-pound winger, however, boasts the formidable frame that Marner doesn't and the playmaking productivity that Crouse doesn't. 

Could Rantanen's NHL-ready skill set win over the heart of Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis, owner of the No. 5 overall pick, on draft day?

Note: This prospect evaluation from a 'Canes perspective is the third in a series on potential selections. Read about the pros and cons of Marner and of Crouse in previous installments.

Position	RW
Age	18
Weight	6'4"
Height	209 lbs.
2014-15 Team	TPS (Liiga)
2014-15 Stat Line	9G, 19A, 28P
CSS Ranking (Euro Skaters)	1st
ISS Ranking	9th

Pros

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Rantanen put his status as the top international draft prospect of 2015 clear with his performance at the World Junior Championships in January, scoring four of Team Finland's eight goals and impressing scouts with his tenacity despite being one of the youngest players on the ice.

Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting, raved about the Nousiainen, Finland, native to NHL.com's Mike Morreale:

"

I thought Mikko was the best player on the Finnish team. He's a big, strong and mobile power forward that is always a consistent threat on the ice. He has a combination of hockey sense, smooth hands and an explosive shot. Overall he's a smart, two-way forward with good decision-making, reliable and a hard competitor.

"

The forward scored four goals and eight assists in his final 14 regular-season games with TPS to finish second on the team in points and surge to No. 1 in the Central Scouting Service's European Skater rankings. 

By all accounts, he's much more versatile than Crouse, his fellow 6'4" top prospect, and better at not relying solely on his size to make an impact on the ice.

Season	League/Team	GP	Points
2012-13	TPS U20 (Jr. Liiga)	35	24
	TPS (Liiga)	15	3
2013-14	TPS U20 (Jr. Liiga)	17	18
	TPS (Liiga)	37	9
2014-15	TPS (Liiga)	56	28

Rantanen is familiar with playing against full-grown men well in the 200-pound range, rather than against fellow teenagers who often must add another 20 or 25 pounds to fill out their frame. 

As a result, he's almost certainly the most professionally prepared of all 2015 draft-eligible players outside of the elite few and would be a strong bet to make the 'Canes NHL roster in training camp come September. For a Hurricanes franchise desperate to end its ongoing playoff drought, this possible immediate impact would likely be considered a major positive.

It's fair to label Rantanen as a bigger Elias Lindholm in many respects.

The two Scandinavian wingers, two years apart by birth, both earned (optimistic) Peter Forsberg comparisons in their draft years—Rantanen names Forsberg as his role-model hockey player growing up, although he now models himself after Ryan Getzlaf—and will likely have debuted as NHL rookies in the seasons directly following.

The final similarity could be fulfilled next month: being drafted No. 5 overall by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Cons

Claus Andersen/Getty Images

Despite his ideal frame, Rantanen is knocked by scouts for not translating it into a particularly physical or aggressive playing style. 

"Rantanen needs to improve his shot and physical play, as he doesn't take advantage of his size in many situations," writes Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects. (He also writes, however, that Rantanen is "an exceptionally talented playmaker...that oozes skill.")

Rantanen's scouting report on Future Considerations also notes that he has an "awkward" (but functional) skating stride and needs to improve his shot accuracy and power. Conversely, it also claims that Rantanen "uses his strength and reach...to protect the puck."

And while Rantanen may appear on paper to be a happy mixture of the positives of both Marner and Crouse, he lacks a defining attribute upon which to base his NHL-level game, where being purely good at hockey is no longer a sufficient ingredient for success.

He's not familiar with the North American game (nor North Carolina culture, for that matter) and has never played more than 56 games for a single team in a single season in his career. Like any international prospect, Rantanen's prospect stock shoulders some standard risks not otherwise apparent in his basic profile.

The Finn most likely faces a lower ceiling of potential than some of the 'Canes' flashier and more controversial options, as well. He's not going to be the next face of the franchise, and probably not even a regular All-Star; he's a relatively safe bet to be an offensively productive and defensively responsible top-six regular, but the next NHL superstar he is not.

Final Thoughts

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

My previous reviews of Marner and Crouse pointed the very looming risks in choosing either of the OHL products.

Rantanen doesn't carry the same "bust" concerns, but also falls short of matching either in upside too.

A selection of the 6'4" Scandinavian at No. 5 overall would be a safe move on the part of Ron Francis, maximizing his chances of landing a solid impact player with the valuable pick, but could also mark a deviation from his developing trend of boldness in rebuilding.

Rantanen and Lindholm could compose two reliable and capable bookends of a potent first or second line in the future. But Rantanen alone will not single-handedly jump-start an offense that finished 27th in the league in 2014-15.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.