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,

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?

The Avalanche began the process of moving on with its first win since the deal Sunday afternoon against the Rangers. Drury scored a goal. Necas was dynamic, collecting two assists and hitting both the crossbar and post with shots while playing in Rantanen’s old spot next to MacKinnon.

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

The Colorado Avalanche traded star forward Mikko Rantanen in a three team blockbuster deal tonight, that apparently had some influence from Oilers star Leon Draisaitl.

Rantanen said he thought talks with the Avs had been productive before the shocking trade to the Canes: "I didn’t know we were in a rush."

The trade sending Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes is still the talk of the hockey world. Nobody actually thought the 10-year career-long member of the Colorado Avalanche would leave his only NHL home.

According to NHL insider Andy Strickland, the Edmonton Oilers are among the favourites to sign star forward Mikko Rantanen if he leaves the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency.

After a shocking trade, the Hurricanes have elevated their chances of winning the Stanley Cup in the 2024-25 NHL season. Which other teams are contenders?

Carolina can re-sign Rantanen and maintain a formidable supporting cast around him, which might have been tough for Colorado.

The Mikko Rantanen blockbuster to the Hurricanes is one of the most stunning trades in recent memory, and the reactions are flooding in.

Chris MacFarland pointed to Rantanen’s pending free agency and the club’s desire to get deeper after three years of being short in that department as reasons for the trade. The NHL’s salary cap ceiling, which is set at $88 million this year but is expected to rise — possibly significantly — in the next couple of seasons is also a factor.