After one of the biggest in-season acquisitions since the New Jersey Devils acquired Ilya Kovalchuk for a massive haul in the 2009-10 season, more information has begun trickling out regarding Mikko Rantanen and the Carolina Hurricanes.
In an article in The Athletic (Subscription Required), Pierre LeBrun explains that only a few teams knew Rantanen was available. LeBrun indicates that Colorado’s first intention was to extend Mikko, but general manager Chris MacFarland had already called a few teams, saying they may call back about the Finnish sniper.
Extension talks between Rantanen and the Avalanche had increased over the last few weeks. However, the ’Nathan MacKinnon-internal cap’ gave MacFarland the sense that Mikko wouldn’t sign an extension in the next five months. LeBrun believes Rantanen would have taken less money than Leon Draisaitl received from the Edmonton Oilers ($14MM) but wasn’t willing to make such a drastic cut that he made less than MacKinnon’s $12.6MM salary.
Unsurprisingly, Cory Lavalette from the North State Journal reports the Hurricanes have already had preliminary extension discussions with Rantanen’s agent. Given their history together on Team Finland, Rantanen is already familiar with Sebastian Aho, but he’ll want to get comfortable in Carolina before talks can progress.
As far as what that hypothetical extension may look like — Harman Dayal took a stab at that in a recent article on The Athletic (Subscription Required). Dayal argues that Rantanen’s fairest comparable is Boston Bruins’ forward David Pastrňák who was given 13.5% of the salary cap for the first year of his current contract.
Assuming the salary cap increases to the reported $97 million for next season, that would place Rantanen around the $13.1 million range. It’s already been made clear that Rantanen and his agent have other ideas, as he and the Avalanche likely could have worked out an agreeable salary should that have been the starting point.
Lastly, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offered some insight regarding the main piece heading back to Colorado — Martin Nečas. Friedman asserts that the Avalanche were not the only team Nečas had been offered to. He believes Nečas was a part of recent trade discussions with the Vancouver Canucks for Elias Pettersson, but not for J.T. Miller.
The acquisition of Rantanen and Taylor Hall likely wraps up all of the headling-making trades for the Hurricanes. Still, despite the cap surgery required for the move, the Hurricanes could circle back on Miller if the Canucks are open to other players on Carolina’s roster.
Tom Dundon is not paying anyone $14M. He’s too cheap. He’ll be UFA at seasons end.
So he pays him 13.1M x 8, that is better than 14.1 x 7
Anyone still calling Tom Dundon cheap is not following the game or the Canes closely.
Thank you JD in NS, for saying that as I see Mike J is on here sticking up for Tommy boy one of the cheapest owners in sports..
Who cares about the Canes unless you are Tom Dundon AKA Mike J . Lol
Hahaha! You really think Dundon would trade Necas and Drury for a rental? He has every intention of signing him. Rantanen is the highest caliber player to come to Carolina in decades. Dundon knows what Rantanen was asking in Colorado. He’s not about to let him walk. The Canes have $31 million in cap space next year before the cap increase. The big question is whether Rantanen will want to stay in Carolina. That likely will depend on his chemistry with Aho, who he played with (quite well) in Finland, and how he likes Rod’s system.
All is well in Cane-land.
Raven 88,
Clearly you follow the game and the Canes. and have a clue.
Refreshing concepts that some of the other kids should consider.
Hey Mike, Is Dundon going to pay the kind of signing bonuses the Lightning were willing to give Guentzel? He got huge bonuses in the first two years of his deal. All totalled, he gets $23m of his $63m contract in the first year. Is Dundon going to give Rantanen $13.5m x8 with $1.5m in salary the first year and an $18m signing bonus. In year two it’s another $1.5m in salary and $13.5m in signing bonus… this is proportionate to what Guentzel got in Tampa Bay. This means on top of the $97m cap Dundon is going to fork over next season, he’s going to go $20m over that and hand $33.5m to Rantanen between July 1st 2025 and July 1st 2026. That’s a lot of cash for a team that receives revenue sharing welfare. The only time he’s given out that kind of money up front was when one of his players signed a contract with another team and he had to match. And he was so pissed about it he ended up pushing that ridiculous and petty KK offer sheet.
The Canes are 9th in spending this year in the entire league. Anyone who says Dundon is cheap is just talking out of the other end.
Does that 9th in spending take into account the welfare check they receive every year from the top ten revenue teams? Even though the Canes sellout their 18,700+ seat arena every game and rake in playoff cash every year… they’re still bottom ten in the league in revenue… so they get their payroll subsidized (welfare). It’s not just that Dundon is cheap, so are the fans. I’m sure John Forslund would never say it, but I think he knows exactly what I’m talking about.
The fans are cheap? Where do you come up with this stuff? They pay what is asked of them.
Another weak diversion from making yourself relevant to the discussion.
You need to focus your efforts on making yourself relevant to the discussion.
He’s gonna be a free agent and I think a Blackhawk next year. Not many places can afford what he wants that I think he’ll want to play for
I wonder if Canucks offered both Miller & Boeser for a package that would have involved Kotkaniemi; I’m not arguing that rantanen isn’t the best player, but hall is a weak piece.
Only way to facilitate that trade is by retaining salary. Hall is clearly a rental.
Sounds like the Avs rushed this deal. Hope there is more to this plan – shame seeing Mikko depart.
Boeser should pay close attention to what happened with the Rantanen trade. He’s in an earily simila situation and I can see him being traded and Miller/Petey staying.