Hurricanes Blockbuster Trade Can Right Last Year's Wrong

Following the team's blockbuster trade, the Carolina Hurricanes have a chance to right the wrong from last year's deadline splurge.

Jan 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) shoots the puck in the second period against the New York Rangers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Did anyone have the Carolina Hurricanes acquiring superstar winger Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche on their 2024-2025 NHL bingo cards? You should probably buy some lottery tickets if so, because the latest blockbuster in the league took the entire league by surprise.

Now, the Hurricanes have acquired the best player before the trade deadline for the second year in a row. Last year, it was Jake Guentzel. The Canes broke the mold when they traded for the former Pittsburgh Penguins winger and Stanley Cup winner, giving up assets and draft picks for a pending free agent. The hope was that they would re-sign him after he fit so well with the club, but a deal never materialized after the season and he wound up signing a huge contract in free agency with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This year, it's Mikko Rantanen, who is an even bigger name and more productive player than Guentzel over the last five years. But, the same issue is presented to Carolina: can they find a way to extend their pending free agent acquisition? Rantanen is rumored to be demanding at least $14 million annually in his next contract. Can the Hurricanes make that work?

For Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky, it's a home run swing in his first season in the role. Following the trade, Tulsky praised Rantanen as one of the best players in the game.

"Mikko is one of the premier power forwards in our sport,” Tulsky said. “It’s no secret that we’ve wanted to add elite skill to our lineup, and this is a player who should fit our system and locker room well."

Now the real work comes for him. Tulsky deserves the utmost credit for making this trade happen and giving the Hurricanes a fighting chance, but that's not enough. The Canes have done this dance before: acquiring a big name, coming up short and then losing him for nothing. That can't be replicated in 2025. They must find a way to get Rantanen signed to an extension, no matter what that takes, and hope this time around is different for the Hurricanes and their Stanley Cup hopes.

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