The Carolina Hurricanes made the trade of the year when they landed Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche. They gave up Martin Necas and Jack Drury, two young forwards who have shined with the Avs. Rantanen has struggled in Carolina, with just three points in eight games. Rantanen and the team have had contract discussions but nothing has been signed, which may lead to a tough decision for Carolina at the trade deadline. TSN’s Chris Johnston has the latest on the saga.
“As reported on TSN’s ‘Insider Trading,’ Mikko Rantanen’s camp is expected to let the Hurricanes know in the next few days where things stand on contract talks. While several teams have inquired about a trade, Carolina hasn’t yet received or asked for a single offer.”
With seven days to go until the trade deadline, decision time is approaching. If he has not signed an extension, the Hurricanes may have given up two players for four months of Rantanen. But a $100 million extension could come very soon.
Rantanen has not been great with the Hurricanes and is weeks away from hitting unrestricted free agency. As he holds out on signing an extension for now, which teams could take their swing at Rantanen?
Should Mikko Rantanen be on the move again?
The NHL trade deadline sees teams vying for the Stanley Cup mortgage their futures to add the right pieces to make playoff runs. It happens every year to varying levels of success. Patrick Kane’s tenure with the Rangers will not be remembered in the same light as Marian Hossa’s impact on the 2008 Penguins, for example. So someone paying a high price to land Rantanen by next week would not be stunning.
Teams vying for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference could all use an elite goal scorer like Mikko Rantanen. Whether it is the Rangers, Blue Jackets, Senators, or Islanders, they could all make a serious push. But the Hurricanes must assume that Rantanen signs a long-term deal wherever he lands and should not trade him within their division.
That could push him back to the Western Conference, where he spent the first 9.5 years of his career. The Avalanche know that he won’t accept their best contract offer, so he won’t go there. But the Dallas Stars can fit him under the cap considering all of their injuries. The Golden Knights are always poised for a big move and the Jets could use an infusion for a Cup run.
If the Hurricanes trade Rantanen, they won’t get a player of Necas’ level back. That means they should keep him and try to work out the contract.
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