Fri, Jan 24, 2025 at 10:30pm

RANTANEN HEADS TO THE HURRICANES!

In a three-team trade, the Carolina Hurricanes acquired forward Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche, and wingers Taylor Hall and Nils Juntorp from the Chicago Blackhawks; Colorado acquired winger Martin Necas, forward Jack Drury, a second-round draft pick in 2025 and a fourth-round draft pick in 2026 from the Hurricanes; and Chicago acquired a third-round draft pick in 2025 from the Hurricanes.

What does it give the Carolina Hurricanes
Whoa! This is a massive trade that should shake things up in both conferences of the NHL this season. In Rantanen, the Hurricanes get a proven scoring winger with a Stanley Cup on his resume and an excellent reputation for playoff point production. He is essentially replacing Jake Guentzel, last season's big Carolina acquisition. Much like Guentzel was, Rantanen is a pending UFA who seems unlikely to re-sign with the 'Canes. So this move is for the here and now. As for Hall, he adds more scoring depth and is also on an expiring contract. Carolina is one of the best checking teams in the NHL, but adding two more scoring weapons could be massive for their Stanley Cup chances.

What does it give the Colorado Avalanche
For the Avalanche, this trade is a bit of a head-scratcher considering Rantanen's talent and proven track record in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That said, the team felt positive that they would not be able to re-sign the pending unrestricted free agent. So, they did the next-best thing by landing Necas and Drury and some draft pick compensation in return for giving up Rantanen. Necas is having a tremendous campaign in 2024-25, but can he (quickly) adjust to the move from Raleigh to Denver? It should help him, since the Avalanche are far more of an offensive juggernaut than the Hurricanes. But expect a period of adjustment. Drury adds more center depth, which could be huge for Colorado.

What does it give the
The Blackhawks were included in this transaction because the Hurricanes needed a team (other than themselves) to retain 50 percent of Rantanen's contract for 2024-25. Chicago took this opportunity to also send Hall's contract in full to the Hurricanes. In exchange, the 'hawks were able to land a third-round draft pick in the upcoming 2025 selection process. While adding picks for essentially weaponizing salary cap space is always good business for rebuilding franchises, did Chicago get enough here? After all, this deal could not take place without the 50 percent retention on Rantanen. Therefore, Hall's inclusion feels more like a salary dump under these circumstances.

Fantasy impact
Rantanen remains an elite scoring winger, although he is capable of playing center. The Hurricanes might use that versatility more than Colorado did. Either way, he should continue to produce good numbers. That said, it feels like his fantasy stock could be on the way down moving away from Denver. Necas could benefit greatly from the move to the Avalanche, but it could take some time because the two main teams involved in this trade could not be more different from a stylistic standpoint. Hall and Drury can only benefit from this trade, since both are entering better situations for their short-term fantasy prospects. As for Juntorp, he was merely thrown in so that Chicago could dump a contract. He has no value.