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Nazem Kadri Calls Out the Colorado Avalanche for Their Treatment of Mikko Rantanen

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated May 11, 2025 8:59 PM ET

Former Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri, who won the Stanley Cup in 2022 with the club, is calling them out for how they dealt Mikko Rantanen.

It was one of the more cruel twists of fate that could have befallen the Colorado Avalanche, and they're going to have all summer to think about it.

They decided to trade star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in late January after deciding that they couldn't keep him; he was set to become a UFA in the summer.

But after Carolina couldn't get Rantanen to commit to sticking with them long-term, they shipped him to the Dallas Stars, who immediately signed him to a massive extension.

The Stars and Avalanche met one another in the opening round of the postseason, and it was Rantanen becoming the 1st player in NHL history to score a natural hat trick in the 3rd period of a Game 7.

Speaking of that 2022 Cup team, one notable former member of it is speaking out. Forward Nazem Kadri was critical of the Avalanche's decision to trade Rantanen on his X account:

Rantanen delivered the knockout blow against his former club, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2022. He now leads all remaining skaters in the playoffs with 18 points, including his pair of points in today's Game 3 against the Winnipeg Jets.

However, neither Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland or president of hockey operations Joe Sakic have expressed remorse or regret over the move that ultimately blew up in their faces.

Either way, the Avalanche now get to look forward to seeing Rantanen on a bitter divisional foe like the Stars for the next 8 years.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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