Three days after the blockbuster trade of Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Jack Drury and Martin Necas — it still hasn’t sunk in for fans and/or media. As a journalist, I have to handle it with a neutral perspective and look at the situation from all viewpoints.

The Avalanche played their first game in the post-Mikko Rantanen era. How did they do? Also, Jared Bednar and Nathan MacKinnon were open and honest about their thoughts on the trade. So was another former teammate,

The trade that saw the superstar dealt to Carolina sent shockwaves through the league and up and down the Colorado franchise.

Following a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, the first game without Rantanen, Avs superstar Nathan MacKinnon sat down in the locker room with reporters and reminisced on his old friend and former teammate.

BOSTON -- As Chris MacFarland wrapped up his remarks Saturday, as he explained the forces that had caused him to send forward Mikko Rantanen across the country from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes, a blockbuster trade that shook the franchise and fanbase, he uttered the words that were at the bottom of everything.

Nathan MacKinnon wasn’t exactly impressed when he found out his linemate and close friend had been traded. The 29-year-old from Cole Harbour reacted to Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen’s trade to the Carolina Hurricanes on the weekend and he didn’t have a whole lot of positives to offer.

Jared Bednar has been known to rely heavily on his top forwards, often overplaying the top line to the point where some nights you wouldn't know the Avalanche were even dressing 12 forwards. That was not the case in Sunday's 5-4 win over the New York Rangers.

As much as the Colorado Avalanche would've liked to cap off this whirlwind of a road trip on a positive note, they failed to do so. The team, which looks a little different having replaced Mikko Rantanen with Martin Necas and Jack Drury,

The Colorado Avalanche looks like the better team for the better part of the first 40 minutes and then the final period is a problem. Colorado had all kinds of chances in the first two periods Tuesday night at UBS Arena,

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Simon Holmstrom had two goals and an assist for the New York Islanders, who won their fifth straight game with a 5-2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche at UBS Arena on Tuesday.

Gabriel Landeskog’s long-awaited return to NHL action remains uncertain, and Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland confirmed so on Sunday.