The Colorado Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen to Carolina. Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland has a message about that.

The Colorado Avalanche has traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, according to multiple reports. Rantanen is in the final year of his contract and can be an unrestricted free agent in July. He leads the Avs with 25 goals and has 64 points, which was sixth in the NHL entering Friday night’s games.

There have been some significant “what ifs” in the aftermath of the Avalanche’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2022, but there’s a new one near the top of the list. What if Gabe Landeskog’s knee hadn’t failed him?

Elliotte Friedman reports that money was one significant factor (perhaps the biggest) in the Colorado Avalanche’s decision to trade Mikko Rantanen.

Chris MacFarland said Mikko Rantanen’s pending free agency, need for more depth were biggest factors in seismic move.

Nathan MacKinnon was stunned. He used other words — shocked and sad were two — to describe the Colorado Avalanche trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night. The best way to describe how he looked about 18 hours after an “Earth-shifting hockey trade” though,

New Carolina Hurricanes winger Mikko Rantanen is giving his two cents about being traded from the Colorado Avalanche.

Facing the prospect of Colorado’s star winger Mikko Rantanen becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season, general manager Chris MacFarland felt the timing was right to deal him away and bolster the Avalanche’s roster for the future.