It hasn't taken long for Carolina Hurricanes fans to warm up to one of their team's newest acquisitions, superstar winger Mikko Rantanen. Having landed the 28-year-old in a blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche,

The Avalanche made one of the biggest trades in Colorado sports history last week when it sent away star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes in a deal that included the Blackhawks. In return, the Avs received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, plus a pair of draft picks (2025 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-rounder).

The Colorado Avalanche have traded 28-year-old star forward Mikko Rantanen. The team confirmed the move late Friday night.

Mikko Rantanen says he was willing to take a discount to stay with the Avalanche before the Hurricanes trade happened.

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?

The Carolina Hurricanes made waves on Friday night with the acquisition of Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado and Rantanen were at an impasse when it came to contract negotiations.

Rantanen has been an essential member of the Avalanche's core since arriving in 2015-16, having won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. Widely regarded as one of the NHL's premier offensive talents, he stands among the league's top five scorers over the last five seasons.

Will he re-sign in Carolina after this season -- and if not, where else? And what will other contenders do to keep pace ahead of the March 7 deadline?

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.

Speaking to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh on Monday, Rantanen shared his thoughts on the trade, his contract talks with the Avalanche and his new chapter in Carolina. Most interestingly, Rantanen confirmed that he was "ready to take a significant discount" to stay in Colorado, as initially reported by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

The Avalanche have been making major changes to their roster all season. But there's a former Av who is a free agent -- and a potential reunion for him in Colorado is intriguing.