Confirmed Trade: [CAR/COL/CHI] Mikko Rantanen (50%), Taylor Hall, Nils Juntorp to CAR; Martin Necas, Jack Drury, '25 2nd, '26 4th to COL; '25 3rd to CHI for retention

[Cousin Eddie]

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out. There's a reason Necas wasn't playing with Aho. He's kind of a one man show, and did his best work away from top pair defenders with two grinders fetching the puck for him and going to the net. Seems like Mckinnon already does what Necas does.

I expect he’ll eventually be on the 2nd line for this very reason.

That is definitely one positive to Necas compared to Rantanen. Necas has proven to be able to drive his own line. They’ve tried this with Rantanen many times in Colorado but it always failed.

If Mackinnon is able to stay close to his regular level of play without Mikko this gives the Avs an entirely different look if Necas can offensively drive some secondary scoring. But if Mackinnon’s play falls off without having Mikko it gives the Avs an entirely different look in a negative sense. That high end top line has always been what separated the Avs from the teams they’ve outperformed.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Already have a Cup and they’re trying to extend their window. Will it work? We’ll see but I get what they’re trying to do.

I think their window would still have been open if they kept Rantanen, let him walk in the offseason, and used his cap space to build around Mack and Makar. Necas is really good but I don’t think he’s the difference between a window being open or closed.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

problem is you dont have the extra 5

It can be found.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Won't happen though. I think 13 is the lowest it could possibly turn out. We'll all have the pitchforks out if he goes for less than 12.5 (though even then, it would cripple us)

Rantanen at 12.5 would cripple the Avs? I think you’re being a little dramatic. That’s like a million more than was offered.

 

[Goal Caufield50]

It can be found.

share your plan with oiler and leaf fans

Rantanen at 12.5 would cripple the Avs? I think you’re being a little dramatic. That’s like a million more than was offered.

which tells you he wanted 14

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Rantanen at 12.5 would cripple the Avs? I think you’re being a little dramatic. That’s like a million more than was offered.

That's just my opinion. IDK how to run an NHL team

 

[MoneyManny]

Oh no but Rantanen is the bad guy!

Wild to see the spin against the player

That's the reason i've always been against the hard salary cap the NHL has. It happens everytime and players turn into villains instantly for trying to get as much as they can out of a 4.5 years long average career in the league.

 

[BB88]

That's the reason i've always been against the hard salary cap the NHL has. It happens everytime and players turn into villains instantly for trying to get as much as they can out of a 4.5 years long average career in the league.

By all accounts we have a player asking for fair market value but he’s the villain

Make it make sense

 

[nerevarine]

Considering most of HF hated the drai extension @ 14M/yr wonder what they would say if rantanen got extended @ 14M/yr

If he wanted more than 12.5 I think colorado made the right choice to part ways

 

[Chrispy]

Looking at capwages, I wonder if the combination of acquiring Hall and retaining on Rantanen is Tulsky maxing out cap before putting Carrier on LTIR.

This way they get the max $2M for Carrier and they have Hall as a full $6M chip they can flip if needed to make cap space for different help.

If this happens, it's brilliant cap management by Tulsky.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

By all accounts we have a player asking for fair market value but he’s the villain

Make it make sense

Why do you keep saying we're calling him a villain?

 

[BB88]

Considering most of HF hated the drai extension @ 14M/yr wonder what they would say if rantanen got extended @ 14M/yr

If he wanted more than 12.5 I think colorado made the right choice to part ways

You can’t realistically expect a superstar player in his prime to take less than 12.5M today

If that’s the limit then say goodbye to your superstars

Drai set the bar at 14 and overall is in the 13+ range

 

[Three On Zero]

With Rantanen being unhappy with the trade, you have to wonder if this helps push him to test free agency.

 

[BB88]

Why do you keep saying we're calling him a villain?

Maybe because I’ve read enough Avs comments and your trade thread for example?

And yes Colorado not willing to offer Mack contract to Rantanen means they were lowballing him

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Maybe because I’ve read enough Avs comments and your trade thread for example?

And yes Colorado not willing to offer Mack contract to Rantanen means they were lowballing him

It's not accurate.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

With Rantanen being unhappy with the trade, you have to wonder if this helps push him to test free agency.

Back to Colorado for 12.59 AAV

 

[Three On Zero]

Back to Colorado for 12.59 AAV

Would be hilarious

 

[gritdash60]

Rantanen has played 46games without MacKinnon, in which he has 22goals and 30 assists and is +22. (and some of those are when Avalanche was a bottom feeder).

But let's not focus on that because it doesn't fit the passenger narrative.

 

[NotCommitted]

That is definitely one positive to Necas compared to Rantanen. Necas has proven to be able to drive his own line. They’ve tried this with Rantanen many times in Colorado but it always failed.

Uhm... I'm pretty sure Rantanen can "drive his own line" to score 50 points a year like Necas has done? Ok I'm framing that in a way that's a bit unfair to Necas but only a bit, if the premise is "Necas is a line driver and Rantanen is not". Besides Carolina plays a very systemic game, everyone there tends to have really good shot metrics. The true test for Necas in COL is carrying the 2nd line or showing he can replace Rantanen and play 22 minutes a night with MacKinnon. I don't think just about anyone can play the kind of minutes MacKinnon and Rantanen have played for the past several years.

Also didn't Rantanen play like 25 minutes a night even centering the 1st line the other season when MacKinnon was injured? He's been a horse for COL, getting the job done, like I'm not saying the team didn't miss a beat with MacKinnon out, but that's not a realistic bar anyway.

I don't think this necessarily turns out bad for Colorado, could even turn out well if Necas takes the next step. Watching him in the playoffs the past couple seasons with Carolina, always struck me as a player who looks like he could be so much better if he "figured it out" or became "more involved" or whatever... but only showed flashes of what he could be.

I see why Colorado would do this though, especially if they feel they probably can't offer Rantanen enough money to make him stay. Necas doesn't have to become the same level as Rantanen to potentially be a very good value for COL. Of course depends if they sign him and what's the AAV gonna be, but since he doesn't have star level resume, it might keep it reasonable even if he does very well the rest of the year + next season.

 

[ToDavid]

When you’ve got a chance to trade away a star over a fourth liner’s worth of salary difference and piss off your best player in the process, you’ve just got to do it.

 

[dirtydanglez]

With Rantanen being unhappy with the trade, you have to wonder if this helps push him to test free agency.

carolina is a competitive team and most importantly they can offer the 8th year. i think he stays.

carolina would have made this trade knowing that its going to take like $13m to keep him.

 

[Three On Zero]

carolina is a competitive team and most importantly they can offer the 8th year. i think he stays.

carolina would have made this trade knowing that its going to take like $13m to keep him.

I think it’s unlikely he goes to free agency, personally

 

[a mangy Meowth]

I think it’s unlikely he goes to free agency, personally

I also think they'll keep him. I'm shocked that it's Carolina that's going to do it

 

[Three On Zero]

It’s an odd trade. And even odder that it involves Carolina

 

[SnS]

I also think they'll keep him. I'm shocked that it's Carolina that's going to do it

I’d guess with the current steals they have in other contracts. It’s letting them to budge on their internal player values.