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

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.

Facing the prospect of Mikko Rantanen becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season, Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland felt the timing was right to trade the star forward and bolster t

Chris MacFarland said Mikko Rantanen’s pending free agency, need for more depth were biggest factors in seismic move.

Paul Bissonnette shared his thoughts on Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the latest episode of Spittin’ Chiclets on Tuesday.

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates with the bench after scoring against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Ball Arena in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Like Rantanen, Marner is UFA-eligible on July 1. Friedman pointed out Marner has a full no-movement clause whereas Rantanen had a partial no-trade. Proteau believes he'll re-sign with the Leafs.

After that game, Avalanche players finally had a chance to publicly react to the trade, and the team's best player, Nathan MacKinnon, had one of the stronger reactions.

The Mikko Rantanen trade undoubtedly ranks among the biggest in the salary cap era, but maybe recency bias plays a role in that perception. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some other blockbuster contenders.

The Guardians, Royals and Tigers have taken differing approaches to building off their successful 2024 seasons. More than a dozen people were killed after police said a man drove a truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street on New Year's Day.

Aleksander Barkov takes pride in wearing the 'C' as captain of the Florida Panthers. So, he appreciates the meaning of being able to also do it while representing his country. Barkov was named captain for Team Finland for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday.