In the NHL, the continental plates moved last night.
Colorado could not reach an agreement Mikko Rantanen with about a new contract, so the club decided to sell their Finnish star. The club sent Rantanen to Carolina in exchange for a center winger to Martin Necas.
Chicago was also involved in the three-way trade, which took half of Rantanen’s salary in its own salary book and sent a forward to Carolina Taylor Hall.
Colorado also got a depth player by Jack Drury and the second and fourth round reservation shifts. Chicago got a three-round turn.
– These are next level things. Of course it was a shock, there’s no getting away from it. A few heartbeats were missed, ‘s hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen start laughing.
Superstars of this class are rarely moved in player trades, especially in the middle of the season. You can apply for a transfer of a similar size in Finnish from the mid-90s, when Winnipeg traded Teemu Selänten to Anaheim.
According to Lehkonen’s point of view, the stalemate in the contract negotiations led to a player trade, in which, according to him, Colorado succeeded well.
– Mikko played his own game really well and has earned everything he will get in his next contract. Colorado also played well here. In my eyes, Necas is tomorrow’s superstar, a fast offensive player and a slippery passer who gets completely different freedoms in Colorado’s offensive style of play, Lehkonen begins.
– Drury is one more centipede to the fast team. In addition, there were a couple of booking shifts. However, it must be remembered that in the worst case, Rantanen could have walked away from the club in the summer without Colorado being left with anything, Lehkonen continues.
Lehkonen gives great credit to Rantanen for the successful player trade.
– Could the player serve more for the club he has been reserved for in the past. He has raised the club from the bottom to the top, and scored the sixth most goals and the ninth most points in the 2020s. On top of everything, the club will receive such a package from him in the last year of his contract. Hats off to all that Mikko has done for Colorado.
In the salary cap world, money is at the center of everything, and in this respect, Colorado got more oxygen for its operations.
Instead of paying Rantanen 14 million from next fall, it will get 6.5 million from Necas for a year and a half.
In the end, Lehkonen only saw opportunities in giving up Rantanen, even though Rantanen as an individual is undeniably a better player than Necas – at least for now.
– Colorado is doing pretty well and the championship window is still open. Nathan MacKinnon is the best player in the world in my opinion, and they also fixed the goalkeeping department. There have been players at the dock, but everything looks good towards spring.
Playoff driver
So what was Carolina looking for in the player trade?
Carolina is unequivocally looking for a playoff driver in Rantanes, because his statistics in the playoffs are even better than they are in the regular season, says Lehkonen
– There is a clear idea here that Rantanen would be the last to take them to the finals. We were now ready to pay a heavy price for that, Lehkonen sees.
For a long time, Carolina has been one of the perennial winners of the regular season, but disappointments have followed each other in the playoffs. Carolina has not been seen in the finals yet.
According to Lehkonen, Rantanen will be able to enter a very different world than before in Carolina, which is deeper in terms of player material.
– Now you no longer have to play 24 minutes in a match. Carolina plays with a clear four chain rotation. On the other hand, the gameplay is completely different there. That team gives the fewest pakki-pakki passes. The way of playing now changes completely. It will be really interesting to see how he adapts to that.
– And Taylor Hall is not a bad player either. It wasn’t that long ago when he was the league’s most valuable player. As a foot player, he fits perfectly into that gang.
Rantanen is certainly exactly what the Carolina team has been waiting for. In the same way, the club acquired a top berth from Pittsburgh a year ago By Jake Guentzelbut lost this one to Tampa in the summer. It was a big disappointment for the team, so the signing of Rantanen will certainly be greeted with great joy in the dressing room.
– Lest Rantanes become the new Guentzel, Lehkonen says, referring to the summer’s contract negotiations.
After everything, the only thing that is certain is that more player trades are coming. For example, a superstar playing a sensationally wonderful season in Toronto Mitch Marner is, like Rantanen, without a contract.
– There were no Colorado or Carolina moves here yet. More to come. Anyway, I believe that there is quite a buzz behind the scenes. This opened my mind and I’m sure there will be more of these now. The clubs’ decisions have to be made very quickly, because the east is so flat and many in the west should be able to run away. The national team’s top tournament in February also mixes things up, concludes Lehkonen.