Imagine a world where Mikko Rantanen gets traded for a second time in one season. The first time was when he was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes. Well, according to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, it could very well happen. Friedman reported that if the Hurricanes weren’t able to extend Rantanen, they may look at trading him. If that were to happen, the Hurricanes could retain another 50% of his salary, which would bring his cap hit down to $2.3 million for the rest of the season.
Here is Friedman’s full quote from the 32 Thoughts Podcast:
“I think a lot of people are looking to see where this is going to go. I do believe there were some talks between the Hurricanes and Rantanen during the 4 Nations, and we’ll see where this goes. I think if Rantanen is a pure rental, the lineup is going to be very long. The thing about Rantanen is, the Blackhawks ate 50% of his salary, so if you take a look at him in Carolina, his cap hit there with the Hurricanes is $4.625M. The Hurricanes have three retention spots. If they want to flip Rantanen, it’s a little over $2.3M; anybody can do that. … You’re going to be able to find a way to handle that … If he’s available, there will be teams saying, ‘We can’t sign him, but we’ll want to do him as a rental.’ And I think it could be good teams. You’ve got to think teams like Vegas, Dallas, Winnipeg, Florida, Tampa, Toronto. I wonder what you can get for him with that kind of competition.”
Pretty much every team in the NHL could make it work, especially given the player. However, it should be taken into consideration that he does carry a modified no-trade clause, which can help control where he ends up. So, let’s take a look at a few potential trade destinations for Rantanen if he were to be moved again at the March 7 Trade Deadline.
Washington Capitals
Starting off with the Washington Capitals, they are the biggest surprise in the NHL this season. After struggling last season and barely getting into the playoffs, they are a powerhouse in the East this year. With how well they are playing, their management group may look at taking a big swing at the trade deadline. They don’t have a ton of time left with Alexander Ovechkin still playing at the level that he is at currently.
Related: Insider Says Leafs May Be Trade Suitors for a Discounted Mikko Rantanen
If they added another forward to their roster, they could be one of the hardest teams to play against in the playoffs. The only issue is that the Capitals don’t have a ton of roster players that would move the needle, which is why they would likely try to put together a package of draft picks. They have three picks in the first two rounds and may try to include Andrew Mangiapane in the deal or even make it a three-team trade to move his contract.
Dallas Stars
Next, the Dallas Stars. They are coming off making another big move that brought in Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci, but it doesn’t seem like Jim Nill is done making moves just yet. He has some assets that he could move to make a case to be the frontrunner to acquire Rantanen from the Hurricanes. With Dallas also being a state with no state taxes, it may increase their chances of signing Rantanen after the season ends.
Regardless, the Stars are one of those teams that are a powerhouse but aren’t talked about enough, and adding a player of his caliber would push them into the odds-on favorite for the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes could look at a player like Mavrik Bourque as a key member of a return for Rantanen.
Winnipeg Jets
The last team is the Winnipeg Jets. They have the roster makeup to go on a solid run down the stretch and into the playoffs, and adding a player like Rantanen would increase their chances of winning the Cup. If it is reported that Rantanen is 100% on the market again, then the Jets may be tied with the Stars as the early frontrunner to land his services. The fit with the Jets makes a ton of sense, as he would slot into their roster seamlessly. They are a hard-to-play-against, heavy team, and Rantanen brings both of those elements while also being a 100-point scorer.
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If Hurricanes’ general manager Eric Tulsky had to pick a team to trade Rantanen to, it should be the Jets. He could target Colby Barlow, Cole Perfetti, or even Nikolaj Ehlers, who is a pending UFA. Tulsky would have the most options for his return if he chose the Jets.
There are a handful of other teams that could express interest in Rantanen, like the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, and, of course, the Avalanche. However, they don’t have a ton of assets to give up that would make the Hurricanes want to move Rantanen. The Avalanche would be very unlikely to re-acquire him from the Hurricanes, given that they traded him just over a month ago—but stranger things have happened in the NHL.
