Hurricanes open to trading Mikko Rantanen under one condition

Carolina Hurricanes right wing Mikko Rantanen. James Guillory-Imagn Images

Carolina Hurricanes reportedly open to trading Mikko Rantanen under one condition

Originally posted on Blade of Steel
By Graham Montgomery | Last updated Feb 12, 2025 8:34 PM ET

The Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly open to trading Mikko Rantanen in the next few weeks if they cannot sign him to a contract extension.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche shocked the NHL community last month when they made a blockbuster deal including Martin Necas and Mikko Rantanen.

Combined, Rantanen and Necas have 130 points this season, highlighting just how important both of these players are to their teams.

Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, though, Rantanen has struggled since the trade, putting up just a single goal and two points in six games with his new club.

This apparently has the team worried, potentially leading to another blockbuster in the near future.

According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos, the Hurricanes are considering trading him at the deadline if they cannot agree to terms on a contract extension beforehand.

This feels especially relevant as there have already been rumors surrounding Rantanen's future.

One former NHLer has said that Rantanen plans on leaving the Hurricanes in free agency this summer.

Another NHL insider has linked Rantanen to the Calgary Flames, noting that the team has a history of making big signings in free agency.

Either way, this is not great news for the Hurricanes. If they were planning on re-signing him before the trade deadline, they probably should have had that deal already in place before the trade was made.

Now it seems most likely that he will either get traded again, leaving the Hurricanes in a worse position than they were before, or he will leave in free agency, making the team lose Martin Necas effectively for free.

Whatever happens, it certainly seems that the remainder of the season will be a busy and exciting one for the Hurricanes, so be sure to keep an eye on the team going forward.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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