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The Colorado Avalanche have sought to sign Mikko Rantanen to a contract extension. However, a deal had not come to pass as the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline crept closer. Many believed Colorado would hold onto Rantanen given their status as a playoff contender. However, Rantanen has shockingly been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Rantanen is going from the Avalanche to the Hurricanes in a three-team trade, as first reported by Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli. Colorado confirmed the deal on Friday night. The Avalanche received forwards Jack Drury and Martin Necas, per their announcement. Additionally, the team received a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
The Hurricanes also received veteran winger Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago received a third-round pick for the 2025 NHL Draft — initially owned by them — for Hall. The Blackhawks also retained 50% of Rantanen's $9.25 million cap hit as part of the deal. There is no salary retention on Hall's $6 million cap hit, however.
At this time, Rantanen and the Hurricanes have not agreed to a contract extension, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The now-former Colorado winger hits NHL Free Agency in July. He could command as much as $14 million on the open market.
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Rantanen's arrival in Carolina marks the second major swing from the franchise in as many years. The Hurricanes traded for Jake Guentzel at last year's NHL Trade Deadline in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, Carolina failed to win the Stanley Cup with Guentzel. The New York Rangers eliminated them in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Rantanen is a fantastic fit in Carolina's lineup. He has emerged over the last few seasons as one of the best offensive players in the league. In fact, he has two consecutive seasons with 40 or more goals, including a 55-goal campaign in 2022-23. Rantanen is currently on pace for 42 goals and 107 points on the 2024-25 campaign.
The Hurricanes have struggled with scoring important goals, especially in the postseason. They have lacked an elite-level goal scorer in recent years. They certainly have received timely goals from the likes of Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, and Seth Jarvis. But none of them have emerged as a consistently elite goal-scoring threat.
Mikko Rantanen gives the Hurricanes such a threat. His arrival in Carolina is a statement from the organization that they are gunning for a Stanley Cup. It will certainly be interesting to see how this deal unfolds for them, the Blackhawks, and the Avalanche as the season moves along.
