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The hockey world is still processing the blockbuster Mikko Rantanen trade on Friday night. The Carolina Hurricanes traded for Rantanen and Taylor Hall in a three-team trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. This is one of the biggest midseason trades in recent NHL history, and the largest trade since the Florida Panthers acquired Matthew Tkachuk in 2022.
This will be one of the more discussed deals we will see for years to come. And we are still learning details as the dust settles on the night. Rantanen had no advanced extension talks before the deal, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston. He also did not expect to be shipped out of Colorado at this time.
“There were no advanced discussions with Rantanen’s camp about the parameters of a potential extension before the trade was completed, according to league sources. The 28-year-old winger was said to have been completely blindsided by a move away from the only NHL team he’s ever played for,” Johnston wrote for The Athletic on Friday.
Hurricanes-Avalanche discussed Mikko Rantanen trade for a while
Some reports indicated this trade was a long time coming. At the very least, it is something the Avalanche have considered for around a year. In fact, Colorado and Carolina discussed a Mikko Rantanen trade around the NHL Draft back in June, according to Johnston.
At the time, it was the Avalanche who raised the possibility of a Rantanen trade. However, nothing came close. The Hurricanes signed Martin Necas — who was traded to Colorado in this deal on Friday — to solve their contract standoff before the 2024-25 campaign.
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Johnston notes that the two teams returned to the negotiation table two months ago. From there, talks became more serious. At one point, Carolina had to choose between a deal for Rantanen or a deal for one of J.T. Miller or Elias Pettersson. This lines up with earlier reports that the Hurricanes and Canucks nearly had a trade in place on Friday night.
The Hurricanes receive an elite talent in this trade. Rantanen is one of the best goal-scorers in the game. In fact, only four players have scored more goals than the new Carolina winger since 2020, according to Evolving Hockey.
The Avalanche, meanwhile, are in an interesting position. Colorado is in playoff contention in their own right. They own a five-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the top Wild Card spot in the West. Trading Rantanen has opened up a little bit of cap space, which could lead to another significant move.
It's hard to understate how big the Rantanen trade is. How it affects the Hurricanes and Avalanche moving forward will be fascinating to watch. Fans should pay close attention to see what else comes out of this situation as the dust continues to settle.
