Mikko Rantanen, ‘The Moose,” is a six-foot-four 28 year old professional Finnish ice hockey player. He played right wing for the Colorado Avalanche for at least a decade but is now a starting forward/right wing for the Carolina Hurricanes.
As of 2024, Rantanen’s salary was $9.5 million; he is looking for a better deal with the Hurricanes to finish his National Hockey League career. Rantanen is sixth in the league with 64 points and is tied for seventh in goals and assists.
“Mikko Rantanen is a superstar. He was someone who really helped back up Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, and he really boosted the attack, but I don’t see a replacement,” DRHS senior Ryder Ashby said. “I mean, last year, Mikko Rantanen had 36 goals, 56 assists, and 92 points, which are all career highs.”
The three-way trade sent shockwaves through the NHL. Through this trade, the Colorado Avalanche received forward Martin Necas and forward Jack Drury from the Carolina Hurricanes. The Avs also got the 2025 second-round pick and also the 2026 fourth-round pick.
The Carolina Hurricanes received forward/right wing Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche and also Taylor Hall, a forward from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks received the 2025 third-round pick.
There have been reports that Mikko Rantanen is seeking a similar deal to the Edmonton Oilers star forward, Leon Draisaitl, who signed an 8 year contract in September, 2024, for $14 million per season. Rantanen and Draisaitl have the same agent: Andy Scott.
“Rantanen was having a great year this year with the Avs, and when you take out that influential piece, it’s like losing balance in the team,” Ashby said. “The Moose obviously played a huge role in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022, and I definitely don’t think these new players from the Hurricanes are good enough to replace Rantanen, so the Avs are gonna have to find someone who can conjure up 92 points in a season.”
As of now, the Colorado Avalanche sit in fourth place in the Central Division and are in sixth place in the Western Conference. The Carolina Hurricanes sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division and are in second place in the Eastern conference.
“The Avs are fourth in the Central Division. They are still gonna be a playoff team if they continue playing like they are,” Ashby said, “but the odds of them winning are hard to say because the Winnipeg Jets are so far ahead in their division.”
The former Avalanche player, now a Hurricane, is rumored to be traded once again. The real question is where will he go and why? Will the Avalanche welcome Rantanen back?
Regardless of whether the Hurricanes keep or trade Rantanen this season, he would have to become a free agent to sign with any team that he chooses, including the Colorado Avalanche.
Trading season is upon the National Hockey League for every team, it’s just a process of deals and money.
