Bleacher Report Lists 6 Potential Trade Destinations for Mikko Rantanen 

They may have to make a couple more moves to convince Rantanen that remaining with the Blackhawks long-term is a solid idea, but they have the cap space to make a splash both on the trade market and in free agency. 

Anaheim Ducks

The next team is the Anaheim Ducks, who have been struggling immensely and have seen their fanbase turn on them in recent weeks with fans wanting to see current head coach, Greg Cronin, fired as soon as possible so they can try and salvage the season.

In the article, they argue that the Ducks have some prospects who might be enticing for the Avalanche in terms of a potential trade, and Rantanen might be the player that helps elevate some of their young forwards who haven’t been able to find the confidence they need to establish themselves as stars in the NHL.

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are an interesting team, but they are nowhere near ready to start contending yet. They have solid goaltending depth, a strong prospect pool, and a veteran group of players who could be enticing for a contending team, but they cannot find a way to make it work and make a deep playoff run.

They could use Rantanen as their first real step toward retooling their lineup and looking to get back into contention. The Islanders haven’t been known to spend big on free agents and extensions, but they have done it before, maybe they do it again for a player of Rantanen’s caliber. 

Buffalo Sabres

The fourth team they named was the Buffalo Sabres, who like all the teams mentioned earlier, are rebuilding. Unfortunately, the Sabres seem to be the furthest behind in terms of when they can start contending again because nothing they seem to be doing for their roster seems to be working. 

Rantanen could be the guy who turns that all around, and it’s a huge risk, but it might be worth taking considering the team would like to get out of the bottom of the standings sooner rather than later. The Sabres have the money to add Rantanen, re-sign him, and make other moves as well. It could be an interesting fit, but an unlikely one.

San Jose Sharks 

The San Jose Sharks, who are my favorite fit on this list, could move into playoff contention as early as next season. With Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson, Yaroslav Askarov, Will Smith, and Quentin Musty rounding out the deepest prospect pool in the NHL, Rantanen could see a long-term future in San Jose. 

They seem to be ready to make that jump, and their front office has made it clear they’d be open to spending money if it meant improving their team. Acquiring and extending Rantanen while not giving up too many of their elite prospects could be one of the strongest moves their organization has ever made, and could bring them back into the playoffs for the 2025-26 season. 

Boston Bruins

The final team they listed was the Boston Bruins, and it was for one key reason only, desperation. They’re tight to the salary cap, they struggle to find consistent offensive production, and they lack the depth to be considered true contenders heading toward the postseason. Rantanen could change all of that. 

The problem is how difficult a deal would be to complete, considering the money issues involved. If this was something they wanted to consider doing, they would almost have to make the deal with an extension attached so they’re not making a massive change to their roster for a rental who leaves when the season is over. 

All six of these teams could try and make a splash for Rantanen, but that’s assuming the Avalanche would be open to moving him. He is one of the NHL’s most elite forwards, and any team would be gunning to acquire him or sign him if he became available. It may turn into an all-out bidding war if the Avalanche make him available before the 2025 Trade Deadline, but time will tell what happens.

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