Mikko Rantanen's Contract Means Hurricanes Must Make Deadline Trade Amid NHL Rumors

The Carolina Hurricanes had hoped to sign Mikko Rantanen to a contract extension before the March 7 NHL trade deadline. According to insider Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada, that will not happen.

This, despite a "hefty" offer from Carolina.

While the organization could conceivably hold onto him, finish out the season with the star winger and hope he is encouraged enough to re-sign this off-season, it must make the difficult decision to trade the 28-year-old.

Rantanen is still relatively new to Carolina after a trade earlier this season sent him from Colorado, the only team he had played for in his decade in the NHL, to the Hurricanes. The shock of that move and an unclear understanding of what a long-term future in Carolina may look like probably fueled his decision.

From an organizational standpoint, the Hurricanes cannot afford to let him take his time and figure out if he sees himself playing for the team in the future.

Too much could be recouped in a trade for the talented Finnish player, especially if a contending team feels inclined to bring him and his expiring contract on board as a rental.

The Hurricanes currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, one point off of a three-way tie with Toronto and New Jersey with 56 points.

They could use Rantanen on the ice and in the locker room as they aim for a playoff run, but for the organization's long-term future, it should be a priority to see what is available in exchange for the 10-year-old.

Otherwise, they risk letting the former Avalanche star walk this off-season without receiving anything in return for him, a front office blunder that could adversely affect a team that already gave up Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick to acquire him in the first place.

That is not a bad haul for a great player with 687 career goals and an average of 20:27 of ice time.

Ultimately, the decision to hold onto Rantanen likely comes down to whether the team thinks it is a genuine Stanley Cup contender this season. If so, they probably hold onto him and hope for the best during off-season negotiations.

If not, they absolutely must consider dealing him to a team that is willing to give up a similar, if slightly lesser, haul than they committed in the trade with Colorado.