Rantanen blindsided by trade: 'I was willing to take a significant discount'
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Mikko Rantanen said Monday he was blindsided by the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Rantanen, a pending unrestricted free agent, told Peter Baugh of The Athletic he was open to signing a team-friendly contract to stay with the Avalanche, who received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury as well as a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick back in the deal.
“I was willing to take a significant discount from my market value," Rantanen said Monday. "We had some chats a couple days before and then they traded me. ... That’s why I didn’t expect it.”
The Hurricanes also picked up Taylor Hall in the three-team deal from the Chicago Blackhawks, who received a third-round pick in exchange for the forward and retaining 50 per cent of Rantanen's $9.25 million cap hit.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the Avalanche and Rantanen had opened talks on an extension, but the team calculated they were never going to agree on a number, leading to the trade.
“I think it was just a tough business decision here for us," Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said Saturday. “I felt that the pieces we got made sense to strike now.”
“I think a lot of the guys are just shocked,” Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon said. “It's pretty crazy someone like that getting traded. ... He's (been) a big part of our team, our culture. He's been here from the dog days, in ‘16, ’17 right up until now. It's helped grow this organization up to a Stanley Cup winner and being a contender every season, a big reason why is because of him.”
Rantanen, 28, had 25 goals and 64 points in 49 games this season with the Avalanche. He went without a point in his first game with the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Drafted 10th overall by Colorado in 2015, Rantanen helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022. In 619 career games with the Avalanche uniform, the Nousiainen, Finland native posted 287 goals and 681 points.
Rantanen could headline a free-agent crop this July that is also currently set to include Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner and Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers.