D Riley Stillman (Hurricanes) – Today’s waiver placement marks the second time Stillman has been exposed on the wire this season. He didn’t start his 2024-25 campaign until mid-November thanks to a lower-body injury, and he was waived then upon his activation from Carolina’s injured non-roster list. Despite being limited to two games with the Hurricanes this season and frequent taxiing with their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, Stillman has reached the collective 30 days spent on Carolina’s roster requiring waivers for any future reassignment.
Hurricanes Rumors
Stars “Well Short” On Extension Offer For Mikko Rantanen
Late last night, the biggest domino yet to fall at the deadline saw movement. Multiple reports indicate the Hurricanes and Stars have agreed on the framework of a deal to send star winger Mikko Rantanen to Dallas just weeks after Carolina paid a premium to acquire him from the Avalanche, but it’s contingent on Rantanen and the Stars being in agreement on an extension to keep the pending UFA around past this season.
Progress on that front is minimal, significantly limiting the likelihood of the trade getting across the finish line. Darren Dreger of TSN reports the Stars have offered Rantanen a long-term deal worth upward of $12MM per season, but that’s “well short” of the player’s ask.
The Hurricanes’ efforts to extend Rantanen were similarly unproductive, sparking intense trade discussion this week to avoid losing him for nothing this summer. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said last month they’d submitted an eight-year offer to Rantanen with a total value of at least $100MM, translating to an AAV of at least $12.5MM, but that he was unwilling to commit to the Carolina market.
Financials may not have been the principal issue with the Canes’ offer, but it does appear to be the issue with Dallas. Trade talks likely wouldn’t have advanced this far if Rantanen was generally disinterested in an extension with the Stars, so there’s presumably a price point at which Dallas can get this done without vastly overpaying on his market value. Whether the Stars, who need to conserve space for an extension for pending RFA Wyatt Johnston and potentially retaining captain Jamie Benn past this year, are willing to go much higher than their initial offer remains to be seen. Leading scorer Matt Duchene is also a pending UFA.
Dallas currently has $25.8MM in projected cap space for 2025-26 with nine open roster spots, per PuckPedia. An extension for Rantanen in the $13MM range annually, which is looking more like his demand, would leave the Stars with around $12.5MM in space for eight players, with Johnston likely to take at least 65-70% of that on his own. It’s not a feasible pickup for the Stars unless they’re willing to make some tough decisions about letting core pieces reach the open market or trading players with term off their roster.
Even if a Rantanen deal falls through, it’s hard to imagine Dallas is done for the day. They’ve still got holes at right defense that need filling, currently rolling out a trio of Cody Ceci, Mathew Dumba, and Ilya Lyubushkin while Miro Heiskanen is sidelined. For now, they’ve got a good deal of cap flexibility to accomplish it with Tyler Seguin and Nils Lundkvist on LTIR, both of whom are either likely or confirmed to be done for the regular season.
Stars Working On Acquiring Mikko Rantanen, Extension Talks Underway
6:55 a.m.: As of yet, a deal is not done, cautions TSN’s Darren Dreger. Unless the two sides can agree on an extension, Carolina may have to consider other options. Discussions about an extension are expected to resume this morning, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli adds.
6:17 a.m.: The Hurricanes and Stars have agreed on a deal to send Rantanen to Dallas in principle, Friedman reports, but it’s contingent on an extension being agreed to or extremely close. As of early Friday morning, that hasn’t happened yet.
12:18 a.m.: The eve of the Trade Deadline has turned into a thriller. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, The Dallas Stars are working to land superstar winger Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes. News of this move comes just over an hour after division rival Colorado Avalanche acquired Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders.
This was certainly the move many were waiting for at this year’s deadline. Rantanen will leave the Carolina organization after just 13 games with the club. The Hurricanes traded top winger Martin Necas, young NHL center Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick, and 2026 fourth-round pick to the Avalanche in exchange for Rantanen in late January. The move came suddenly, and speculation that Rantanen wouldn’t sign the extension Carolina hoped for quickly formed. With a quick-forming impasse, Carolina has opted to flip Rantanen before their chance ran out.
Trade details haven’t yet been revealed, but the return will need to be expansive for a player of Rantanen’s caliber. He scored 25 goals and 64 points in 49 games with Colorado before his first trade. That’s an incredible 82-game pace of 41 goals and 107 points, which would have been well in line with Rantanen’s performances over the last two seasons. He was a star after just two seasons in the NHL, posting 84 points in his sophomore season. But Rantanen became a superstar in 2021-22, when he recorded 92 points in a full regular season then added 25 points in 20 games on Colorado’s Stanley Cup run. He followed it with a career-high 55 goals and 105 points in 2022-23. Even better, he showed he could do it again with 104 points last year.
Rantanen is a star – and became the preferred battery mate for Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon. Now, Rantanen will face the incredibly difficult task of playing across from MacKinnon as Dallas and Colorado battle for playoff standing. Both teams seem well on their way to a postseason berth, and stand as constant threats to make a late run once they make it to the playoffs.
Dallas will certainly part with key stars in the acquisition of a multi-time 100-point scorer. But Rantanen will inevitably join a loaded offense in Texas. The Stars rank fourth in the NHL in goals-per-game (3.40) – two spots ahead of the Colorado Avalanche (3.30). Their offense is led by top shooter Jason Robertson with 27 goals and 64 points in 62 games. Robertson is backed by Matt Duchene (63 points), Wyatt Johnston (59), and Roope Hintz (52). The Stars have dazzling young stars like Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque – the former a proven hot commodity and the later one of the youngest AHL MVPs of the 2000s. Neither has managed top scoring this season, which could help Dallas move on from a high-value item without hindering their top-echelon offense.
The cap implications of this move are sure to be interesting. Rantanen carries a reduced $4.625MM cap hit through the end of the season, after Colorado retained 50 percent on the original trade. That’s just narrowly more than Dallas can afford with their $4.60MM projected cap space. That could necessitate additional cap exchange in this swap. It will undoubtedly be an exciting trade – one that Friedman shares could unfold through the depths of the night.
Injury Notes: Orlov, Stillman, Mazur, Quinn
The Carolina Hurricanes announced in the minutes leading up to Thursday night’s game that top-four defenseman Dmitry Orlov would sit out with a day-to-day injury. His last-minute absence forced defenseman Riley Stillman, Carolina’s only extra skater, into the lineup. Stillman was placed on waivers earlier in the day with the intention of being assigned to the minor leagues.
Stillman suffered an injury of his own partway through the game after taking the skate of Boston Bruins forward John Beecher to the face. Stillman headed immediately down the tunnel. He was ruled out for the rest of Thursday night’s game per Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer, but no further updates were provided.
Orlov’s absence leaves a sizeable hole on the Hurricanes’ blue-line. He ranks second among the team’s defenders with 24 points in 62 games. Orlov also averages the third-most ice time on the team, with 19:42 putting him just a couple of minutes behind the top pair of Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns. Orlov is also Carolina’s second-most-used defenseman on the penalty-kill behind Burns. The Hurricanes will be forced to fill all of his roles in the short term and will need to make a roster move to do so, with Stillman likely out. Top prospect Scott Morrow – the points leader among Chicago Wolves defenseman (39 points) – will be the most likely candidate for a call-up.
More injury notes around the league:
- Detroit Red Wings rookie Carter Mazur went down the tunnel just one minute into his NHL debut, after awkwardly bumping into Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain. His injury was listed as upper-body in a formal statement from the team. No indication of Mazur’s timeline has been provided. The news brings an unfortunate end to what was a dream night for the Michigan-native. Mazur has scored 15 points in 20 AHL games this year and looked set to land fourth-line minutes after the departure of Andrew Copp to injury and Christian Fischer to waivers. But Detroit may need to go searching for a new fill-in, which could define their Trade Deadline approach with less than a day left.
- Top Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn left the team’s Thursday night game midway through the first period due to illness. No further details were disclosed. Quinn skated for four shifts and 2:25 in ice time before exiting. He leaves a notable hole behind him after recording three points in his last five games. That scoring streak has brought Quinn to 10 goals and 24 points in 53 games this season. Buffalo isn’t currently carrying any extra forwards, with Jason Zucker out with a “frustrating” injury per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. That could prompt Buffalo to make a roster move, or shop for a depth forward on the open market – should Quinn need to miss additional time with his illness.
Maple Leafs, Stars, Kings, Golden Knights, Panthers Calling On Mikko Rantanen
9:44 a.m.: Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic adds the Golden Knights and Panthers as teams who have made legitimate pitches for Rantanen in the last 24 hours, also moving the player to the top of his pre-deadline board. Vegas would need retention on Carolina’s part to get a deal done with $2.4MM in deadline cap space, with the Hurricanes likely targeting someone like 24-goal man Pavel Dorofeyev as part of the return. Florida wouldn’t need retention after placing Matthew Tkachuk on LTIR for what’s expected to be the remainder of the regular season, and might need to surrender top forward prospect Mackie Samoskevich to get it done. He’s recently been elevated to a top-six role in Tkachuk’s absence.
8:10 a.m.: The Maple Leafs, Stars, and Kings are three teams expressing high levels of interest in star right-winger Mikko Rantanen, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes. After reports first surfaced last month that the Hurricanes could flip Rantanen after acquiring him from the Avalanche in a January blockbuster if extension talks weren’t productive, Carolina has “opened the door” on trade talks late this week, Friedman said. There’s a long list of teams to display interest so far – including the Devils, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now said Tuesday.
It remains to be seen how willing the Hurricanes are to move Rantanen, who will likely need to agree in principle to an extension with his new club for them to land the return they desire. Carolina isn’t a seller in any capacity – they’re nine points ahead of the playoff line and have a 99.6% chance at a playoff berth, per MoneyPuck – so they’re presumably not interested in futures as the primary value in a return.
The 6’4″ Finn hasn’t been what the Hurricanes expected when they surrendered Martin Nečas, Jack Drury, and three draft picks to acquire him and Taylor Hall in a three-team deal with the Blackhawks six weeks ago. Despite spending most of his time in the lineup stapled to star countryman Sebastian Aho’s wing as expected, he’s scored just 2-4–6 through 12 games in Carolina with a minus-two rating.
Rantanen’s brief but underwhelming showing outside of Colorado, where he’d torched the league for 1.28 points per game since 2020, will weigh on teams’ minds as they debate how many resources they’ll commit to acquiring and extending him. With an eight-year deal, he’s virtually guaranteed to become one of the four highest-paid players in the league, surpassing Oilers star Connor McDavid’s $12.5MM AAV and likely even former teammate Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6MM cap hit. AFP Analytics even projects an eight-year extension for Rantanen to cost $13.65MM per season, approaching $110MM in total value and making him the second-highest paid player in the league next season behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, who’ll be kicking off a mega-extension with a $14MM cap hit.
While there will surely be NHL players coming off the acquiring teams’ roster in a Rantanen return, the Maple Leafs are the only one of the above group who would need to make a money-in, money-out deal. Carolina, who has Rantanen on their books for $4.625MM against the cap after Chicago retained half his salary in January’s trade, can make him a $2.3MM player by retaining an additional 50%. That wouldn’t require additional shuffling on the Stars’ or Kings’ end.
Carolina will need an immediate replacement at wing in the deal. While it’s likely to be a downgrade in terms of overall reputation, they’ll still be asking for a bona fide top-six piece with other assets in the deal to make up the difference in trade value. For Toronto, that could mean parting ways with pending RFA Matthew Knies, shifting William Nylander to the left wing to replace him and casting Rantanen and Mitch Marner as their top two right wingers. Another bottom-six depth piece, potentially Calle Järnkrok, could also be out the door to help the Hurricanes replace the void left by William Carrier when he underwent lower-body surgery in late January.
The Kings have made their desire for a right-handed scorer public over the last few weeks and will pivot to second-line type names like the Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri if their efforts to land Rantanen are futile. Carolina likely demands someone like Trevor Moore in return, who erupted for 31 goals last year but has just 12 in 51 games this year. Breakout 23-year-old Alex Laferriere, who’s posted 15-16–31 in 56 games, is also an option as a centerpiece, but would require more additional assets from L.A. than Toronto would need to provide on top of the more highly-touted Knies.
Dallas, who’s already added Mikael Granlund to their forward group, has more appealing NHL-ready young talent to offer than their Western Conference rival. Either 2024 AHL MVP turned NHL full-timer Mavrik Bourque or 22-year-old Logan Stankoven could immediately slot into the Canes’ top-nine (or top-six, in Stankoven’s case), and are more in Knies’ territory in terms of long-term offensive ceiling than Laferriere and Moore.
Ducks Likely To Retain John Gibson Amid Weak Trade Market
The Hurricanes and Oilers remain engaged in trade talks with the Ducks regarding netminder John Gibson, but Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that neither team has put forth a particularly appealing offer. With no other buyers looking for goaltending help, it’s looking likely that another season of trade rumors regarding the Anaheim goalie won’t result in any movement, LeBrun writes.
While Carolina’s dwindling interest in Gibson makes sense given veteran Frederik Andersen’s return to form following knee surgery, Edmonton’s lukewarm interest is puzzling – especially considering LeBrun’s comment that the Oilers “don’t appear to see Gibson as a true upgrade.” While that may have been the case in years past, it’s an objectively incorrect take given Gibson’s 2024-25 performance versus what the Oilers have to offer.
For the first time since before the pandemic, Gibson should be in line for some fringe Vezina trophy consideration. Behind a Ducks defense that allows 32.2 shots against per game, the most in the league, he’s posted a .909 SV% and 2.82 GAA with a 9-10-2 record in 26 appearances. While the 31-year-old has still been outplayed and lost the starter’s crease to up-and-comer Lukáš Dostál, he’s done well enough in his own right to re-solidify himself as a top-15 netminder in the league, at least this season. On top of posting his best raw numbers since the 2018-19 campaign, Gibson’s saved 14.1 goals above expected to tie him for 10th in the league with Mackenzie Blackwood and Adin Hill, per MoneyPuck.
That’s a significant upgrade over what Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have put up behind an Oilers squad that still ranks among the 10 best shot-suppressing teams in the league despite their recent struggles. After getting Edmonton to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, Skinner has just a .897 SV% and 2.87 GAA with a 20-15-4 record in 40 showings – down considerably from his .909 SV% over the prior two years. The veteran Pickard hasn’t fared any better as a No. 2 option, logging a .896 SV% and 2.76 GAA in 24 appearances, albeit with a 15-7-0 record that translates to a better points percentage than Skinner. The pair have combined to allow 10.4 goals above expected this year, including 3.8 from Skinner and 6.6 from Pickard.
That said, this is Gibson’s best showing in quite some time. As a rental, maybe Edmonton pays up – but in addition to not valuing him as a legitimate playing upgrade over Skinner, they’re not willing to take the risk attached to the remainder of his contract, a $6.4MM cap hit through 2026-27. That’s impossible for the Oilers to accommodate anyway without significant retention, as they enter the deadline with $4.475MM in space, per PuckPedia.
New Jersey Devils Have Expressed Interest In Mikko Rantanen
Per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, the New Jersey Devils have expressed interest in Carolina Hurricanes’ winger, Mikko Rantanen. Nichols added that their interest wholly depends on Jack Hughes’ status, but it’s an interesting development nonetheless.
Despite rumored interest from the Devils, it doesn’t appear as a likely hypothetical landing spot. Carolina and New Jersey would play in the first round of the postseason if the season ended today, and neither is expected to catch up to the red-hot Washington Capitals. Theoretically, the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers are within striking distance of a divisional playoff spot, although it’s not all that likely.
Meanwhile, the Devils and Hurricanes don’t have a long history of trading with each other. Since the 2019-20 season, the pair have connected on two trades, the first being the deal sending defenseman Sami Vatanen to Carolina in 2020 and the other being a minor league swap of Zack Hayes and Jonathan Dugan in 2023.
Still, it’s hard to dislike Rantanen’s fit in the Devils lineup if the purported interest is accurate. Despite their need for a third-line center, Rantanen would objectively prove a massive upgrade over Ondřej Palát or Dawson Mercer in New Jersey’s top six. Rantanen has more points this season alone than Palát and Mercer combined. Although he doesn’t register many body checks, Rantanen is a physical forward who can put the puck in the net, which would benefit New Jersey’s 14th-ranked offense in terms of GF/G.
Unless the Hurricanes believe they have no realistic opportunity to win the Stanley Cup this season, it’s difficult to imagine a trade of this magnitude happening between the organizations. Even if the Devils maximize their cap space by placing Hughes on their long-term injured reserve, and they’re able to put together a compelling offer, it would make little sense for Carolina to improve a team they’re likely to face in the playoffs.
Carolina Hurricanes, Taylor Hall Discussing Extension
A few days ago, Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network reported the Carolina Hurricanes and newly acquired forward Taylor Hall are working toward a contract extension. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed the news in his written rendition of 32 Thoughts, although neither insider had specifics to share.
Because of the ongoing situation regarding Mikko Rantanen, Hall’s status as a pending unrestricted free agent in Carolina has been entirely overshadowed. The former first overall selection of the 2010 NHL Draft is on the final year of a four-year, $24MM contract signed with the Boston Bruins in 2021.
The news of a potential contract extension with the Hurricanes is somewhat peculiar, given Hall’s play with the team. The veteran winger has only tallied one goal and one assist in nine games with Carolina, averaging 14:47 of ice time per game. Furthermore, despite a strong win against the Buffalo Sabres yesterday evening, the Hurricanes are 3-5-1 since making the trade.
Much of it will depend on Hall’s price point. One can reasonably assume he’ll make far less than his current $6MM salary, and it likely won’t be a long-term deal since he’ll enter his age-34 season next year. The Calgary, Alberta native’s subpar production and injury history over the last few years may point him toward a bonus-laden contract should he remain with the Hurricanes.
Still, it’s important to note his subpar production is only relative to the previous standard Hall set earlier in his career. He’s scored 48 goals and 79 assists in 207 games over the life of his four-year contract, split between the Bruins, Hurricanes, and Chicago Blackhawks. Many teams would be content with that production from a middle-six winger, albeit at a lower price point.
The main cause for concern would be Hall’s recent injury history. Before the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Hall had only played in 152 games for the Bruins and Blackhawks- 61.7% of possible contests. Much of that was because of a torn ACL last season, limiting the former MVP to 10 games.
Fortunately, Hall has seemingly put the injury behind him this year. Despite one healthy scratch in Chicago and a few games missed due to illness, he’s projected to play in a full season for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign.
Poll: Will The Hurricanes Trade Mikko Rantanen?
One of the biggest storylines heading into trade deadline week is the potential availability of Carolina Hurricanes’ winger, Mikko Rantanen. The Finnish star has already been traded once this year, going from Denver to Raleigh for Martin Nečas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick. However, a lack of extension with the Hurricanes this close to the deadline has some insiders believing Carolina will look to move him again rather than lose him for nothing in the offseason.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman threw fuel on the fire last Saturday. Friedman suggested on his weekly segment Saturday Headlines the Hurricanes have offered Rantanen an eight-year, $100MM+ extension, which would make him the eighth player in NHL history to sign a nine-figure deal. Still, due to the emotions of being traded away from the only organization he’s known for the last decade, Rantanen hasn’t decided on an extension with Carolina. Friedman emphasized that it doesn’t indicate Rantanen is leaning either way, but it does put the Hurricanes’ front office on a time crunch.
To update the situation further, TSN’s Darren Dreger touched on Rantanen’s status on TSN’s Ottawa 1200 yesterday evening (beginning around the 10:30 mark of the broadcast). Dreger mentions that owner Tom Dundon, a hands-on owner, relatively speaking, is having difficulty considering a Rantanen trade given what they parted with to acquire him. Still, Dreger is confused, like many analysts, about why Carolina made the trade in the first place if they weren’t fully convinced Rantanen would sign an extension. Additionally, the TSN insider doesn’t believe Rantanen is enjoying his time with the Hurricanes.
There’s on-ice data to support that claim. The former 100-point scorer with the Colorado Avalanche has posted one goal and two assists through his first eight games with Carolina, averaging 20:10 of ice time per game. His shooting percentage has dropped to 4.0%, which is exceptionally low considering his career track record. Rantanan simply hasn’t looked fully engaged as a Hurricane, and the team has suffered for it, posting a 2-5-1 record with him in the lineup.
Unfortunately for Carolina, the team will have difficulty acquiring a package similar to the one they sent to Colorado. Most contending teams will consider Rantanan a rental at this stage, which will decrease what they’re willing to part with to obtain him.
For potential suitors, we can reasonably assume he won’t wear another team’s jersey in the Metropolitan Division this season. The Hurricanes are looking for their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006, and they’ll have to go through one or two teams in their division due to the current playoff formatting. Furthermore, as good as Rantanen’s fit would be with any of the three-headed monsters in the Atlantic Division (Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs), it’s hard to imagine Carolina helping a team they might have to play for a Stanley Cup Final berth.
That should isolate Rantanen’s potential market to Western Conference teams only. The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights are clear suitors, with the Edmonton Oilers also being a team to watch out for. Edmonton has a larger need for a defenseman, but they could afford Rantanen’s remaining deal should Evander Kane spend the remainder of the regular season on long-term injured reserve. Despite the need for a defenseman, few teams in the West could compete against a top line of Rantanen, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl.
Should a team like the Chicago Blackhawks or San Jose Sharks believe they can sign Rantanen to a big-ticket extension, they may be willing to pay the premium. Chicago and San Jose could easily wait until July 1st to sign Rantanen without parting with any assets, but the potential of an eighth year in his contract might entice them.
The Hurricanes are caught between a rock and a hard place. Will they keep Rantanen for a shot at the Stanley Cup, or will they recoup some assets for him rather than lose him for nothing in the summer? Vote below!
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Latest On Mikko Rantanen Extension Negotiations
In last night’s rendition of ’Saturday Headlines’ with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the NHL insider provided an important update on the ongoing extension negotiations between the Carolina Hurricanes and Mikko Rantanen.
Friedman shared that the Hurricanes’ front office met with Rantanen’s representatives during the 4 Nations Face-Off break to discuss where both sides were on a potential extension. Carolina has put a firm offer on the table and Friedman believes the total salary is in the nine figures. Rantanen would become the eighth player in NHL history to sign a deal worth $100MM or more joining Alex Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl, Shea Weber, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Ilya Kovalchuk.
However, Rantanen doesn’t appear close to deciding either way. Friedman noted that he’s still dealing with the whirlwind of emotions that came along with being traded from the Colorado Avalanche on January 24th. The update doesn’t mean that Rantanen won’t ultimately sign a big-ticket extension with the Hurricanes, but he’s understandably hesitant to decide on spending the next eight years of his life with a team he’s been a part of for one month.
Although Rantanen is a few months away from becoming the biggest free agent name in recent memory, he has earned the right to choose his destination for the foreseeable future. Still, whether it’s his right or not, his decision, or lack thereof, has put Carolina in a difficult spot.
Unlike the hodgepodge of prospects the Hurricanes dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season for rental winger Jake Guentzel, Carolina parted with high-level assets for Rantanen. Martin Nečas had been flirting with the Art Ross Trophy for much of the season and Jack Drury is more than efficient in his role as a third-line center. The Hurricanes could have a hefty dosage of buyer’s remorse should they lose Rantanen to free agency this summer (although a Stanley Cup championship may numb the pain).
The lack of immediate extension in Carolina has some insiders believing the Hurricanes may opt to trade Rantanen at the deadline rather than lose him for nothing. Carolina can bring Rantanen’s salary down to an impressively affordable $2.31MM should they retain another 50% opening his market to an entirely new audience. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, it’ll be difficult to recoup a player of similar value given their cap situation, almost guaranteeing they’ll be worse off for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Carolina could target NHL-ready talent in a ’Moneyball-esque’ way of recreating Rantanen’s ability and talent by committee. Still, given the value of above-average entry-level contracts on a contending team’s roster, it’ll be difficult to find a team willing to move those assets for a few months of Rantanen despite his game-changing talent.
The only thing entirely known is that time isn’t on the Hurricanes’ side. Carolina has a tight window to decide on Rantanen’s future given that there are less than two weeks until the deadline. The best approach may be to put as much pressure on Rantanen and his representatives this week (without completely alienating him), and begin contacting interested teams should they fail to ink an extension by the week of the deadline.