I don't blame Mikko for Carolina.
I 100% blame Mikko for the way he left Colorado when he could have handled that shit himself from the get go.
I ain't mad, though. I believe the Avs got better moving him.
I ain't mad either - not even close.
For months and months, (for some longer than others) a large potion of peeps have been suggesting that signing Mikko long-term was going to be a mistake. Signing him to anything close to $12M per year was going to shut our window or cause us issues going forward because he's just NOT a $12M player. Not on the Avs, not on the Hurricanes, not on any team. (imo)
Then, he gets moved out to Carolina - and the rhetoric from the general public perspective becomes "OMG... Carolina just got one of the best wingers in the game!! They got the best player - therefore Colorado loses this deal. These types of Top-10 NHL players are very rarely available".
Mikko goes on to crap the bed in Carolina. (6 points in 13 gp? seriously?)
Then he gets moved out to dallas AND signs the 8-year extension and the general perspective is again "OMG... dallas just got one of the best wingers in the game!! They are surely NOW the top team that's going to go on to win the Cup!!!" Maybe so, we'll see... it was also the same kinda thing we heard from Carolina before he played his first game there.
I don't think you can underestimate the impact of adding a new player to a lineup that's just signed a monster contract to a locker room and then having that player not be able
to play up to that contract. We've seen what that kind of thing has done to the Boston Bruins with Elias Lindholm (7 years @ $7.75M) for an atrocious 32pts in 64gp. I hope for his sake, that Mikko is going to get his ass in gear and right away too because if he doesn't the rest of that roster is going to be scratching their heads wondering what kind of TDL acquisition that was.
We've just seen the Carolina Hurricanes roll the dice on what they thought was their major missing piece and the fit was terrible. The dallas stars just rolled the dice on the fit as well - they essentially just 'Brad Stuart'ed Mikko Rantanen but
for 8 years.
I think that the potential is there for Mikko to play some inspired hockey now that he is with a team that he wanted to sign with and if that is the case, I think he should be a PPG player.
At the same time, I think there's the potential for Mikko to play pretty much the same way he did in Carolina and for the rest of that dallas stars team to wonder - why the f*** did our management just give this guy $12M per ??? No matter what now, he's got his bag - he could be Huberdeau part 2 and if that does become the case, thank you Mikko Rantanen - you couldn't have f***ed over a more deserving franchise.
Legendary!
I'd pay to read that oil post game thread
