NHL Rumors: Mikko Rantanen Not Ready to Commit to Hurricanes Contract amid Trade Buzz
The Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly gauging the trade value of star winger Mikko Rantanen in hopes of avoiding the possibility of losing him for nothing.
According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the Hurricanes "received clarity" from Rantanen's camp about "not being ready to make a decision on the team's contract offer by Friday's trade deadline." Carolina is now weighing potential trade offers for Rantanen versus keeping him on the roster "as a rental."
It was less than two months ago that the Hurricanes acquired Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 24 as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Chicago Blackhawks. While in-season blockbuster trades are rare in the NHL, the Avalanche were also at a contract stalemate with Rantanen and didn't want to lose him without getting assets back in return.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported that Carolina made "a pitch to sign Rantanen to a nine-figure extension during the 4 Nations break" but was told there would be no immediate decision. Since exploring possible trades for the 28-year-old, the Hurricanes "have received interest from the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers, among others."
Rantanen has appeared in 12 games for Carolina and recorded two goals and four assists. At the time of his trade from Colorado, he was leading the team with 25 goals while also adding 39 assists.
At 36-22-4, the Hurricanes rank second in the Metropolitan Division entering Thursday night's game against the Boston Bruins (28-27-8). Time is ticking for Carolina to try to flip Rantanen in another deal as the franchise tries to solidify itself as a contender for the Stanley Cup this season.
Blackhawks, Avs, Hurricanes Updated Depth Charts, Salary Cap After Rantanen Trade
The Carolina Hurricanes executed a bombshell three-team trade on Friday evening, adding Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen and Chicago Blackhawks left wing Taylor Hall.
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli broke the news.
Here's how all three teams' lines could look following the move, using Daily Faceoff's pre-trade line combinations as a guide.
First Line: LW Andrei Svechnikov, C Sebastian Aho, RW Mikko Rantanen
Second Line: LW Taylor Hall, C Jesperi Kotkaniemi, RW Jackson Blake
Third Line: LW Jordan Martinook, C Jordan Staal, RW Seth Jarvis
Fourth Line: LW Eric Robinson, C Tyson Jost, RW Jack Roslovic
First Defensive Pairing: Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns
Second Defensive Pairing: Dmitry Orlov, Jalen Chatfield
Third Defensive Pairing: Shayne Gostisbehere, Sean Walker
Goalies: Pyotr Kochetkov, Frederik Andersen
Carolina had no cap space prior to the deal, per Spotrac. Necas had a $6.5 million cap hit and Drury had a $1.7 million cap hit.
First Line: LW Jonathan Drouin, C Nathan MacKinnon, RW Martin Necas
Second Line: LW Ross Kolton, C Casey Mittlestadt, RW Artturi Lehkonen
Third Line: LW Joel Kiviranta, C Parker Kelly, RW Logan O'Connor
Fourth Line: LW Jere Innala, C Juuso Parssinen or C Jack Drury, RW Ivan Ivan
First Defensive Pairing: Devon Toews, Cale Makar
Second Defensive Pairing: Samuel Girard, Josh Manson
Third Defensive Pairing: Keaton Middleton, Sam Malinski
Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood
Colorado had no cap space prior to the move, per Spotrac. Rantanen had a $9.25 million cap hit.
First Line: LW Frank Nazar, C Connor Bedard, RW Tyler Bertuzzi
Second Line: LW Teuvo Teravainen, C Jason Dickinson, RW Ilya Mikheyev
Third Line: LW Colton Dach, C Lukas Reichel, RW Nick Foligno
Fourth Line: LW Pat Maroon, C Ryan Donato, RW Philipp Kurashev
First Defensive Pairing: Nolan Allen, Alec Martinez
Second Defensive Pairing: Alex Vlasic, Louis Crevier
Third Defensive Pairing: Ethan Del Mastro, T.J. Brodie
Goalies: Arvid Soderblom, Petr Mrazek
Chicago had just $622,882 in cap space prior to the move, per Spotrac. Hall had a $6 million cap hit.
The Hurricanes enter Friday with the second-most points in the Eastern Conference (63). They've made the playoffs each of the last six years and gotten to the Eastern Conference Finals twice but haven't broken through to the Stanley Cup. It's clear Carolina is serious about finally breaking that trend by adding Rantanen and Hall.
The 28-year-old Rantanen has been stellar this season with 25 goals and 39 assists in 49 games. He's sixth in the league in points and well on his way to a third straight 100-point season. Rantanen should slot in on the top line with left wing Andrei Svechnikov and center Sebastian Aho, forming a phenomenal trio in the process.
The 33-year-old Hall has nine goals and 15 assists in 46 games. He missed nearly all of last season with a torn ACL but recovered in time for this season and thankfully hasn't suffered any setbacks. Hall looks like an option as the second line's left wing alongside center Jesperi Kotkaniemi and right wing Jackson Blake.
It's impossible to replace Rantanen's production, but the bottom line is he's an impending free agent that could have very well left this offseason for nothing. Colorado gets a great talent in Necas, who is enjoying a career-best season with 16 goals and 39 assists in 49 games. Seven of those goals have occurred on the power play. He'll fit right into the top line alongside left wing Jonathan Drouin and center Nathan MacKinnon.
Overall, this was a stunning and potentially Cup-defining trade. The Hurricanes (and the rest of the East) are chasing the Washington Capitals right now, but Carolina looks like it could close that gap before the regular season and finally make a playoff push that gets the team to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Mikko Rantanen, Taylor Hall Blockbuster 3-Team Trade to Hurricanes Stuns NHL Fans
Colorado Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen was reportedly acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team trade on Friday night.
Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall will also be heading to Carolina as part of the deal, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, Hurricanes centers Martin Nečas and Jack Drury will be heading to the Avalanche in the trade.
It's a shocking move, as Rantanen spent his entire career in Colorado since making his debut during the 2015-16 season. Meanwhile, Hall was in the midst of his second year with the Blackhawks.
Fans were stunned by the deal.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that the Blackhawks will be receiving a third-round pick as part of the trade, although Seravalli noted that the call to officially make the deal has "not yet been conducted."
Rantanen was selected by the Avalanche with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry draft. His 394 career assists and 681 career points both rank No. 7 on Colorado's all-time leaderboard.
The 28-year-old has surpassed 100 points in each of the prior two seasons, while his 55 goals during his 2022-23 campaign ranked No. 3 among all players. Rantanen helped lead the Avalanche to their Stanley Cup victory in 2022.
In 49 games this season, he's recorded 25 goals and 39 assists.
Rantanen is currently slated to hit free agency at the end of the year, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed that a contract extension isn't a part of the deal.
As for Hall, a trade appeared to be brewing after he was scratched from Chicago's clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.
The Hurricanes will be the 33-year-old's sixth team since the start of the 2019-20 season. Hall appeared in just 10 games with the Blackhawks during his first year with the organization, as he suffered a torn ACL in Nov. 2023.
The 2018 Hart Trophy winner was able to return before the start of the regular season, racking up nine goals and 15 assists across 46 appearances while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time.
As the Canes look to secure their seventh consecutive playoff appearance, they made a blockbuster move to help them do so.
Mikko Rantanen, Taylor Hall Traded to Hurricanes in 3-Team Deal with Blackhawks, Avs
Mikko Rantanen, who played parts of ten seasons and won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, is joining the Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced Friday.
Rantanen is being moved in a three-team deal that will also send veteran winger Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Hurricanes, as first reported by Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli and confirmed by ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
Hurricanes centers Martin Nečas and Jack Drury are going to the Avs as part of the deal.
Rantanen is playing on an expiring contract that will not be extended as part of the trade, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The Athletic's Scott Powers first reported that the Blackhawks are taking on half of Rantanen's $9.25 million cap hit as part of the deal. The Hawks will meanwhile let go of the entirety of Hall's $6 million salary, per Powers.
The Canes could be adding one of the most productive wingers in the league by acquiring Rantanen, who ranks sixth in the NHL with 64 points in 49 games.
Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon have been one of the best duos in the NHL for years, leading the franchise to the 2022 Stanley Cup and becoming the first pair of Avs players to each record back-to-back 40-goal, 100-point seasons last spring.
Having just turned 28 in October, Rantanen could be set for a raise on his next contract from the $9.25 million he is making this season.
Even if the Canes are not able to extend him after this season, potentially slotting Rantanen in alongside Sebastian Aho on the top line just for the next few months could give the Hurricanes' offense an enormous boost as they gear up for a potential Stanley Cup run.
The Hurricanes meanwhile could lose two centers in Nečas and Drury.
Nečas, who anchored the third line, meanwhile avoided hitting the trade deadline as a potential rental by inking a two-year, $13 million extension before the season.
The Canes' center depth will now be tested as players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal step up in Nečas' absence.
Hall heads to Raleigh in the final year of the four-year, $24 million deal he signed with the Boston Bruins ahead of the 2021-22 season. He said last week that he wanted to sign an extension in Chicago, but had "a feeling that's not really in the cards," per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Hall was in the middle of his second season with the Blackhawks, although he missed almost the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign after undergoing ACL surgery in November 2023. He was skating mostly on the Blackhawks' fourth line, and could take on a similar role in North Carolina.
The Hurricanes have previously been tied to trade interest in Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Friedman reported Thursday that the Hurricanes and New York Rangers had "permission to talk" with Miller, who has a full no-trade clause on his contract.
If the reported trade impacts the likelihood the Canes can find the cap space to acquire Miller, the Rangers could have a better chance of convincing the winger to agree to come to Manhattan.
Photos: Hurricanes Release Renderings for $1B Entertainment District Around NHL Arena
The Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday shared initial renderings of the $1 billion mixed-use development scheduled to be built in the 80 acres of land surrounding the Hurricanes' arena and NC State football's Carter-Finley Stadium.
The 15-year development timeline for the new Raleigh Sports & Entertainment District is set to begin in December 2025, according to the team.
The first phase of development will involve installing an "expanded plaza" and "600-foot promenade lined with tailgating suites, balconies and new open space for thousands of fans to gather," which are featured in the renderings.
The area will feature new food and beverage options in addition to a stage for live performances, the Hurricanes said.
The promenade is designed to sit adjacent to a new music venue with a capacity of 4,300, which will be operated by Live Nation, according to the team.
The tailgate area will also be abutted by two parking garages, which are expected to be ready prior to North Carolina State's 2027 season opener.
Also included in phase one of the development plan is the development of more than 200,000 square feet of retail and 150,000 square feet of office space in addition to a 150-room hotel and more than 500 apartments, per the Hurricanes.
Before construction begins, the area must be rezoned to allow housing. The developers plan to file for zoning later in September, the team said.
The new sports and entertainment district is part of the Hurricanes' decision in 2023 to sign a 20-year lease extension with the arena, which will keep the NHL team in Raleigh-Durham through the 2043-44 season.
As part of the agreement behind the extension Gale Force Sports and Entertainment, the Hurricanes' parent company, agreed to invest in the mixed-use development around the arena.
Gale Force pledged to invest $200 million within a five-year Phase 1 development, $400 million within ten years, and $800 million within twenty years.
Also as part of the agreement, the city of Raleigh and Wake County agreed to contribute public money to renovate the Hurricanes' arena.
First images of the proposed $300 million renovation, which includes a new lobby and facade in addition to new food and beverage options including a rooftop bar, were released in early August. Developers hope to begin the project following the Hurricanes' 2024-25 season.
The Hurricanes' home, which has been called PNC Arena since 2012, could also be set for a name change after the bank's naming rights expired last month. A recent trailer for EA Sports' NHL 25 showed the venue displaying the words "Lenovo Center" on the ice, although the change has yet to be confirmed.