I Don't Think Anyone Expected THAT.
Blockbuster NHL trade ends Mikko Rantanen's tenure in Colorado, sends he and Taylor Hall to Carolina.
Well, this wasn’t something anyone saw coming.
Indeed, Mikko Rantanen, one of the longest-tenured Avs players (who was also very integral to their cup win a couple of years back), has been dealt to Carolina in a three-team trade. Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and picks go back to Colorado, and Chicago gets a pick and gets to pay part of Mikko Rantanen’s salary to do nothing for them for the remainder of the year.
Hockey is a funny business.
I suppose whether you like this trade will depend on your allegiances. For Carolina, it will add a massive scoring boost to a team already scoring at a rate near the top of the league. For Colorado, they get Martin Necas (who is no slouch in scoring) along with depth forward Jack Drury, and free up Rantanen’s cap hit.
Chicago gets…a rock.
I appreciate both Carolina and Colorado. Carolina is swinging for the fences here to try and reach the pinnacle that has eluded them for some time. Hall and Rantanen are also potential rentals, as both are UFAs at the end of the season. Hall is having an off-year (although with Chicago, that doesn’t mean a lot) but Rantanen is sixth in the league in scoring so far this season.
On Colorado’s side, Necas is no slouch in scoring of course. He sits at 12th in the league with 55 points (16g, 39a). He won’t replace Rantanen on the MacKinnon line, but he won’t be out of place either.
Lots of people are scratching their heads over this one, or at least Colorado fans. While Carolina loading up for a long playoff run makes sense. Colorado on the other hand has a boatload of talent of their own, and with the acquisition of Mackenzie Blackwood in goal, looked like they had managed to fix the one major issue keeping them from their own long run this spring. Losing Rantanen doesn’t change that necessarily, but you can’t argue he hasn’t been a critical piece to their puzzle recently.
Most likely (as some of reported), Colorado is getting a return for a player they were possibly going to be priced out of keeping around next season. And no, I don’t believe these weird rumors that the Avs are trying to make a play for Crosby…not happening folks.
The biggest winner here is Taylor Hall, who has the benefit of escaping Chicago.
Can’t wait till June when we get a Colorado vs. Carolina Stanley Cup Final.
Let me know your thoughts!