Mikko Rantanen Injury Update: Latest on Avalanche forward for 2023 fantasy hockey season

Mikko Rantanen is projected to be a key player for the Colorado Avalanche this season, but the forward is dealing with an injury. Rantanen missed the Avalanche's last preseason game and many Colorado fans hoped it was just precautionary.

That does appear to be the case, as Rantanen was back at practice and is expected to play in Wednesday's season opener against the Los Angeles Kings.

Mikko Rantanen was dealing with a lower-body injury but it wasn't considered too serious. When asked about why he missed the final preseason game, the forward told reporters he was just focused on the regular season:

"No need to push through now," Rantanen said. "Eighty-two game regular season, so don't want to risk anything in preseason, unnecessarily so."

This is no doubt great news for Colorado Avalanche fans as Rantanen is expected to play on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin.

What happened to Mikko Rantanen?

Mikko Rantanen did not suit up for the Colorado Avalanche's preseason finale, despite most of the regulars playing. Immediately, many wondered what happened to Rantanen and after the game, head coach Jared Bednar said it was a lower-body injury.

When and how Rantanen got hurt is still uncertain, as well as what exactly was injured and the extent. The Avalanche revealed that it was a lower-body injury, but he will be in the lineup on Wednesday night.

Should you pick Mikko Rantanen for your fantasy team?

Although most fantasy teams would already be picked by now, if you haven't drafted, Rantanen is someone you should try and land.

Last season, Rantanen recorded 105 points in 82 games and he was arguably the Colorado Avalanche's best player. It was the first time he hit 100 points in a season, as the year prior he had 92.

Rantanen should be a first-round pick in fantasy drafts, but if you have a middle-to-late pick, he is a solid player to target.