Rantanen and Cale Makar, who’s got a $9 million-per-year cap hit through the 2026-27 campaign, don’t have to be an either/or proposition if the former’s payments get deferred. With Mikko camped out to his right midway through the second stanza ...

The Carolina Hurricanes made waves on Friday night with the acquisition of Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado and Rantanen were at an impasse when it came to contract negotiations.

The trade that saw the superstar dealt to Carolina sent shockwaves through the league and up and down the Colorado franchise.

Martin Necas had two assists, nearly scored twice himself and excelled on the top line. Jack Drury scored a goal and centered a new-look depth line while all 12 Avs forwards played more than 10 minutes, a departure from the usual top-heavy distribution.

Makar scored again to give Colorado a 3-2 lead at 14:36 of the period with the Avs on the power play. Necas reversed the puck from the right side of the ice to the left, then MacKinnon set up Makar at the top of the zone for his 18th goal of the season.

Rantanen produced an assist and four shots on goal in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Jets.

Former Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen took to Instagram to share his gratitude to the franchise after being traded to the Hurricanes.

Despite being a fan favorite and a key part of the Avalanche's recent success, the salary-cap reality forced their hand.

On the surface, the Colorado Avalanche made a pretty baffling decision last week (Jan. 24). Trading an in-his-prime franchise legend like Mikko Rantanen doesn’t usually go over well in the eyes of public opinion.

Despite their climb back to the fringes of playoff contention, these Rangers remain fragile. That was certainly the case after another mistake – one that gives Panarin’s miscues against the Hurricanes a run for their money – resulted in the devastating defeat to Colorado.

NHL trade deadline is over a month away, with plenty of time for big moves, yet we’ve already seen a splash that can’t be topped. The Colorado Avalanche traded superstar winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Martin Necas in a move that will have massive ramifications this season and for years to come.