Here are three blockbuster Avalanche trade targets in the wake of the stunning Mikko Rantanen trade with the Hurricanes.

Elliotte Friedman reports that money was one significant factor (perhaps the biggest) in the Colorado Avalanche’s decision to trade Mikko Rantanen.

The Colorado Avalanche stunningly traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, and he was reportedly blindsided.

On Friday night the hockey world came to a grinding halt, and not because of anything going on during an unusually robust four-game slate of games. The

The Carolina Hurricanes traded for Mikko Rantanen on Friday night in a stunning move. It was a three-team trade between the Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, and Chicago Blackhawks. Carolina also acquired Taylor Hall in this deal on Friday night.

Chris MacFarland said Mikko Rantanen’s pending free agency, need for more depth were biggest factors in seismic move.

Rantanen is an elite NHL scorer. He’s a house of man (six-foot-four, 215 pounds) who can be described as equal parts shooter and distributor. Most of his assists come off the cycle or by outmuscling opponents to extend plays in the trenches. He isn’t a massive threat off the rush, though.

Friday’s blockbuster between Colorado and Carolina served one serendipitous purpose for the NHL. And that was shifting the focus off a week of officiating scandalous even by league standards.

Rantanen is one of the NHL’s top playoff performers; he ranks fourth among active players in career playoff points per game (1.25) behind Edmonton Oilers forwards Connor McDavid (1.58), Leon Draisaitl (1.46) and his now former teammate MacKinnon (1.30) and helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022.

Enter Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall. Rantanen, described as a "fantastic fit" by Canes General Manager Eric Tulsky on Saturday afternoon as he met with the media for the first time since the three-team trade was finalized, brings a proven track record of scoring.

The Hurricanes are loading up. Carolina acquired star right winger Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in a three-team trade, the clubs announced on Friday night.

Connor McDavid will lead the Edmonton Oilers against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, Denver in back-to-back games after playing the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.