Avalanche first-round draft pick Mikko Rantanen skated with other young Avalanche prospects Thursday but he was absent Friday. But we know he will take No. 96, his birth year. We also learned that young defensemen Chris Bigras and Duncan Siemens now have traditional numbers (3 and 15, respectively), and that newcomer Brandon Gormley, who was No. 33 in Arizona, will not be No. 33 in Colorado (it’s retired). Gormely, 23, will report with the veterans, along with goalie Calvin Pickard, who is also 23.
This week’s informal skates at Family Sports Center follow a veteran captain’s skate (which, by the way, included defenseman Jan Hejda on Friday).