GDT: Trade Deadline Day

[Mess]

Stars “Well Short” On Extension Offer For Mikko Rantanen​

March 7, 2025 at 10:13 am CDT

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.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Same thing happened the last 3 years. They refuse to stay up with the times and tech.

It's cause every time that one rojac dude on here who sponsors the site shows up we all make fun of him, so he's taking the proverbial bourbon off our proverbial shelves

 

[ULF_55]

I'd trade for Mikko Rantanen and give up Matthews Knies in the package

Let Tavares walk in the summer and build around Matthews/Marner/Rantanen/Nylander

You make a big move, bringing in one of the best playoff players in hockey while shaking the foundation of the team

You mean in a sign and trade.

Dallas couldn't pay him enough.

How much is he after? $14mm

So marner at $14mm.

 

[Ports]

You don’t pin your hopes on Matthews if you want to win in the playoffs.

Nor Marner or Tavares.

Matthew Tkachuk was considered one of the biggest playoff chokers until he wasn't

Ovechkin was considered a playoff choker until he wasn't

Yzerman was considered a playoff choker until he wasn't

Matthews is still very young, as long as we have him we will be contenders for years to come.

He’s hardly the Messiah. Winning a cup doesn’t depend on any one player. It requires a battle hardened team of players who rise to the occasion at critical moments and that is something this team has lacked.

 

[Cleetus]

What are the odds of a nothing ever happens kinda day

prices are kinda steep! I think Brad is still cutting out the coupons, might get a bargain sometime today lol

 

[Suntouchable13]

I gotta say this has to suck as a Leaf player. Everyone around you getting better and your GM is kicking f***ing tires lol ouch

Yea, but having said that they have to take care of their own business. 5 wins is the most they ever got in one playoff season. Just get it done. There is not a lot of faith in them, investing more assets into this core. Look at how many assets were already spent and they did not do shit.

 

[cyris]

That is really not a big haul for Cozens. There has got to be more. Norris really isnt that good.

And he is always hurt.
The Sabres may be the worse run organization in North American sports.

 

[Fogelhund]

Save JT's $7M for Bennett.

It's highly probably Bennett just extends in Florida. I don't think he's going to be an option for us.

 

[BTP]

BRADDDDD

 

[VanW27]

Norris can’t stay healthy and JBD is a #7. Like it a lot for Sens

Agreed, don't get it at all for the Sabres.

I'd argue the number 1 issue preventing Ottawa from taking the step forward people think they should have is their centre's.

Stutzle is a RW being forced into the 1C spot, Norris is a LW who's been their 2C. This isn't to crap on those players they just aren't suited to be NHL centre's even if they are "capable".

Even if Cozens isn't the player people hoped he'd be he's a centre. An actual NHL caliber centre.

 

[13pacheco31]

Site crashed on me for a second. Thought something happened lol

 

[RomanianLeafs]

So teams can trade within the division...only with us nobody wants to do it

 

[rumman]

This site is pathetic, reminds me of the old dial up days, I’ll be back for the deadline day autopsy when it doesn’t take minutes for a page to load………

 

[leafsfan5]

I'm not trading Knies, sorry, he's an untouchable for me. They need MORE like Knies, not less.

The big moves will be this offseason as I allow the cap space to open up and then I treat it like I'm shopping with an open chequebook

Listen I love Knies, but he has become overrated among our fanbase (understandably so)

He's pacing for ~60 points and 30 goals while shooting an unsustainable shooting % playing beside 2 of the most elite players in hockey. If he's the piece that can get you a 50 goal, 100 point player who produces in the playoffs you need to do that

Knies right now is fantastic value, we'll see how people feel about him making 7.5-8 million in a couple years

 

[Fogelhund]

What is Buffalo even doing? Great deal for Ottawa, but in all probability it makes Buffalo even worse.

 

[leafsfan5]

You mean in a sign and trade.

Dallas couldn't pay him enough.

How much is he after? $14mm

So marner at $14mm.

Dallas wanted to give him 12M

I'd give around 13-13.25 and see if he'd take it

 

[Sypher04]

Listen I love Knies, but he has become overrated among our fanbase (understandably so)

He's pacing for ~60 points and 30 goals while shooting an unsustainable shooting % playing beside 2 of the most elite players in hockey. If he's the piece that can get you a 50 point, 100 point player who produces in the playoffs you need to do that

Knies right now is fantastic value, we'll see how people feel about him making 7.5-8 million in a couple years

In a vaccuum sure, but it’s not that simple.

Knies bridged at something like 5M is much better for us than Rantanen at 13-14M

 

[NMacrules]

This is f***ing ridiculous! I know I will be disappointed but to have a GM who has never won anything and and blew the Tkachuk trade so badly leaves me more than skeptical than all the other years. Prices are always steep this time of year so Tre has to deal with that. A depth player added won't move the needle and we have like 5 depth players already.

 

[Advanced stats]

The panic here is nuts... You have to see it from Brad's side. Still lots of attractive pieces available on the board(Murphy, Ferraro, Laughton,Rackall, Donato) and other teams are overpaying for depth players(Novak, Beauvillier, Walman)

Eventually prices have to drop as Buyers blow their wad on cheaper pieces.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I gotta say this has to suck as a Leaf player. Everyone around you getting better and your GM is kicking f***ing tires lol ouch

Then maybe they should have done more over the past few years so that the front office could believe in them more?

 

[dubplatepressure]

In a vaccuum sure, but it’s not that simple.
Knies bridged at something like 5M is better for us than Rantanen at 13-14M

I think 7-8 years of Rants at 14M is going to be a big mistake for whoever signs him.

 

[BlueForever75]

So both Ottawa and Buffalo exchange underperforming young players on big tags. With Buffalo once again getting the worse of it.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

What is Buffalo even doing? Great deal for Ottawa, but in all probability it makes Buffalo even worse.

The answer is sewering hockey in Western NY forever so that Pegula can sell for a profit to an owner that will probably relocate them.

 

[horner]

That's why you offer sheet him. If Dallas can't match, which they would struggle to do if signing Rantanen

8 mil you need your own picks 1st 2nd 3r

 

[Martin Skoula]

Listen I love Knies, but he has become overrated among our fanbase (understandably so)

He's pacing for ~60 points and 30 goals while shooting an unsustainable shooting % playing beside 2 of the most elite players in hockey. If he's the piece that can get you a 50 point, 100 point player who produces in the playoffs you need to do that

Knies right now is fantastic value, we'll see how people feel about him making 7.5-8 million in a couple years

I don’t think he’s shooting that much above a sustainable rate considering he plays a lot of netfront. Something like Kreider bouncing between 15% and 20% is probably reasonable through his prime.