The Avalanche are going to see a lot of Mikko Rantanen in the coming years. And that includes a return to Ball Arena on March 16 with the Dallas Stars and a possible playoff series in April.
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Dallas acquired the former Avs superstar winger six weeks after he was sent to Carolina. In return, the Hurricanes received forward Logan Stankoven, two first-round and two third-round draft picks.
Rantanen then signed an eight-year max term contract extension worth $96 million with the Stars as part of the deal. He also got a full no-movement clause.
READ MORE: Necas on Rantanen Speculation: ‘They Probably Should Have Known That He Would Sign In Carolina’
The past six weeks have been quite a whirlwind for all parties involved. Looking back, it’s almost unheard of to see something like this play out, especially given the talent involved and all three teams being Stanley Cup contenders.
“I don’t think it’s something either of us are really looking forward to, playing against each other, just with the history we have with him and winning and him being such a key part of this team and such a close friend,” defenseman Devon Toews said of Rantanen. “It’s always hard to have those matches against each other.
“It just doesn’t sound fun for me to have to deal with.”
Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland spent most of the summer and the start of the regular season trying to lock up his superstar winger. The talks reached a stalemate after reports surfaced that Rantanen’s camp was looking for a deal upwards of Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million AAV — and as high as $14 million per year, matching Leon Draisaitl’s extension with Edmonton.
“We made a really hard decision, and it was a hockey decision,” MacFarland said of the initial Rantanen trade in January. “Mikko is a great hockey player and a great person, and I’ll always wish him the best. But we don’t spend much time on seeing what other teams may or may not do. I think the Dallas Stars got a great hockey player and a great person.”
With both sides far apart on a deal, the Avs decided to move forward with a trade, suddenly shipping off the fan favorite to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and two draft picks.
Necas, who was Carolina’s leading scorer at the time, has enjoyed instant success in Colorado. He has five goals and 10 assists in 14 games, which includes three game-winning goals.
Rantanen, on the other hand, struggled in Carolina. In 13 games, he scored two goals and added four assists. He was admittedly blindsided by the trade and needed time to adjust. While dealing with his on-ice struggles, the Hurricanes were also trying to lock him up to an extension, which Rantanen refused to do.
READ MORE: Avalanche Thrilled with Brock Nelson’s Arrival
Instead of keeping him as a rental and continuing extension talks in the summer, Carolina instead chose to recoup assets. The Stars, however, were unwilling to part with this significant of a package without permission to speak to Rantanen first. Talks began late Thursday night and went through the morning before a deal was reached.
The trade was contingent on Rantanen signing an extension with Dallas.
Ultimately, Carolina sent away Necas, Drury, a second, and a fourth to acquire Stankoven, Taylor Hall, two firsts and two thirds. In hindsight, they probably want a do-over.
