The Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes could become trade partners according to TSN analyst and insider Nick Kypreos.
In his latest Trade Board published on Jan. 15, Kypreos highlighted the possibility of the Avalanche moving impending free agent Mikko Rantanen.
According to Kypreos, the issue lies with an “internal cap” the Avalanche has based on Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 AAV. In other words, the Avalanche are unwilling to sign Rantanen to a deal exceeding MacKinnon’s cap hit.
Kypreos said via SportsNet.ca:
“There is a belief they already offered $90 million over eight years ($11.25 million AAV) earlier this season.”
However, Kypreos underscored that the Colorado Avalanche and Rantanen appear to be about $1 to $2 million apart per season. As such, a contract extension seems unlikely at this point.
On the flip side, the Carolina Hurricanes continue to dangle Martin Necas as the centerpiece in a deal that could bring the Hurricanes a player that could put them over the top in the postseason. As such, Kypreos believes the Canes and Avs could be a great fit for one another.
Kypreos added that Carolina and Colorado are "logical trade partners.”
If that’s the case, the Canes could be sending Necas and his $13 million contract to Colorado in exchange for Rantanen. However, a deal wouldn’t be a simple one-for-one swap. Other pieces would have to be involved to make the deal work.
Mock trade involving Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes
The two main pieces to make this potential trade a reality would be winger Martin Necas, who has one year left on his current contract, in exchange for Rantanen who’s an impending free agent.
While the Canes would get the impact player that they are looking for, they may also want to add some depth. Perhaps a prospect like Ivan Ivan or Nikita Prischepov could further help grease the wheels.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche could use more depth on the blue line. Perhaps someone like Jalen Chatfield could get the ball rolling.
Otherwise, the Carolina Hurricanes may have to throw in a draft pick to finalize the trade. While a first-rounder may be too much, perhaps Necas plus a 2025 second and a 2026 third could make the deal work.
A mock trade could ultimately look something like this:
Colorado Avalanche get:
F Martin Necas
2025 second-round pick
2026 third-round pick
Carolina Hurricanes get:
F Mikko Rantanen
F Ivan Ivan / Nikita Prischepov
No salary retention would be involved in the trade.
The loose ends would involve having Colorado sign Necas beyond next season, while the Hurricanes know they could afford to keep Rantanen beyond this season. It remains to be seen if the Canes can clear enough cap space to accommodate Rantanen’s demands.
If not, Rantanen could be nothing more than a rental for Carolina.
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Edited by Veer Badani
