The Carolina Hurricanes stunned the NHL on Friday night by acquiring Colorado Avalanche star right winger Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster three-way trade, the teams announced.
The Hurricanes acquired Rantanen and Chicago Blackhawks left winger Taylor Hall in the deal. Colorado received winger Martin Necas, Carolina's leading scorer this season, and Hurricanes center Jack Drury, as well as a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder from Carolina.
Chicago reacquired its own 2025 third-round pick that it previously had traded to Carolina. The Blackhawks also retained half of Rantanen's $9.25 million salary cap hit to facilitate the trade.
Rantanen is sixth in the NHL this season with 64 points in 49 games, including 25 goals. Since the 2021-22 season, he is fifth among NHL players with 365 points in 286 games. He's also fifth in goals scored (160) in that span. He has been an integral part of a Colorado team that has been an annual Stanley Cup contender, winning the championship in 2021-22.
But the 28-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this summer and his contract demands created a significant impasse with the Avalanche, with whom he has played for 10 seasons.
Rantanen was seeking a contract in the neighborhood of the eight-year extension Leon Draisaitl signed with the Edmonton Oilers in September. That deal carries an average annual value of $14 million.
Both Rantanen and Draisaitl are represented by agent Andy Scott.
Contract talks between Rantanen and the Avalanche had stalled, with a significant gap between the two sides. Colorado hoped to get Rantanen in under star center Nathan MacKinnon's $12.6 million AAV, which was an eight-year contract he signed in September 2022.
Hall, 33, will play for the seventh
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