Making the jump from Europe to North America for the 2016-17 season was a bold move, but one Ranta was happy he made.
"It was huge for me to come here and play in the states," Ranta said. "I loved it. The USHL is a great league. I think I took a lot steps here and I got better a lot. It was good, it was fun."
The scoring chances were there for Ranta; he finished his second USHL season with 37 points (23 goals, 14 assists) in 53 games, up from nine points (six goals, three assists) in 30 games in 2016-17. He finished third on Sioux City in goals and tied for second in points.
His scoring numbers may not be eye-popping, but his attributes impressed scouts.
"I think how he thinks the game is really, really strong," senior manager of NHL Central Scouting David Gregory said. "His physical skills are really easily apparent. He skates like an NHL player already, has an NHL shot and release. I don't think his numbers reflected the real upside offensive potential he has."
Ranta's size (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and speed make him dangerous.
"I have a lot of speed, so I create a lot of scoring chances with my speed. I have a good shot, so I like shooting it, too," Ranta said. "I feel like I see the plays pretty well so I can find my linemates, creating and creating chances, and with a lot of speed it's easy to drive the 'D' wide and have a little space to create a shot or create a pass."
Ranta has impressed scouts with his ability to find open teammates with passes as well as his willingness to go to the hard areas.
"To a fault he almost always makes the right play," Gregory said. "Like when that guy is open he'll get him the puck and shoot to a hole where he may not get it back, but he made the right play. He does make the other guys better and brings them right along and I think he's the kind of guy that can play with any skill level, but obviously when he plays with a higher level of skill I think it'll help his game more."
Ranta was a member of Finland's Under-18 team that defeated the United States for gold at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Russia. Among his teammates were fellow 2018 prospects Jesperi Kotkaniemi (NHL Central Scouting's No. 6 European skater) and Rasmus Kupari (No. 11).
Ranta had two points (one goal, one assist) in the tournament, but his teammates valued his work all over the ice.
"His biggest strength is his skating and shooting and his strength," Kupari said. "Sampo was more like a power forward and did ugly, ugly things in there at the rink. … I think Sampo was more like a power forward in there."
Playing alongside players such as Kupari and Kotkaniemi, who is projected to be the first center taken in the 2018 Draft, displayed how well Ranta can fit in with elite skill players.
"When he's had to raise his level of play or play at another level, it's been absolutely no problem for him to transition to that," Gregory said. "Some guys take longer to adjust, some guys never adjust; he adjusted very quickly."
Ranta is committed to play the 2018-19 season at the University of Wisconsin, where he'll learn under Tony Granato, a former NHL forward and coach.
"[I like] how he thinks the game," Ranta said. "He's a great coach, he's been around the NHL for a long time and I feel like he's going to give me a lot of tips to get better and make me a better player."
