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Published on January 25, 2025
Colorado Avalanche Trades Star Forward Mikko Rantanen to Carolina Hurricanes in Multi-Team NHL ShuffleSource: Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In a move that caught many offsides, the Colorado Avalanche has sent their star forward Mikko Rantanen packing to the Carolina Hurricanes in a high-profile hockey trade. The details, coming in late Friday night, have lit up the NHL talk circles, with Rantanen, a critical piece of the Avalanche's 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team, leaving after nine seasons.

As part of a rather intricate three-team trade, the Colorado Avalanche will warmly welcome forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury from the Carolina Hurricanes, as reported by CBS News Colorado. Forward prospect Nils Juntorp will also find himself en route to the Avalanche via the Chicago Blackhawks, who are playing their own game of roster shuffle. Taylor Hall, meanwhile, trades in his Blackhawks jersey for a 'Canes one, upping the ante for Carolina's push to the playoffs. The Blackhawks aren't left empty-handed either, securing a third-round pick in this year's draft and absorbing half of Rantanen's remaining salary.

Rantanen, only 28 and already with two seasons topping 100 points, a feat that includes an Avs record of 55 goals in the 2022-23 season will be an unrestricted free agent after this season's end. "Mikko is one of the premier power forwards in our sport," said Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky, as per 9News. Rantanen now joins a Hurricanes squad that sits alluringly in second place in their conference, just a few strides behind the league leader Washington.