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?

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."

Rantanen admitted he spent a lot of time staring at the ceiling Friday night. The goal celebrations with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are no more. The bonds he made are likely unbreakable, but now it’s time to make new ones in his new home.

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).

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.

The Carolina Hurricanes knew if they wanted to go deep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they needed another game breaker among the top-six of the lineup. GM Eric Tulsky has found one in spades.

Former Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen took to Instagram to share his gratitude to the franchise after being traded to the Hurricanes.

The Montreal Canadiens should be buyers ahead of the trade deadline to show youth a vote of confidence for a strong season so far.

Team Finland will be captained by a Stanley Cup champion at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Aleksander Barkov of the defending champion Florida Panthers will wear the ‘C’ for Finland. Carolina Hurricanes stars Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen,

That's Wild The Minnesota Wild started a very important road trip north of the border Wednesday night by visiting the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The Wild, who were 2-2-0 in their previous four games, have been just holding steady as they have suffered a dangerous injury bug.

The latest round of speculation started after the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster trade on Friday, fueling "baseless rumors," as labeled by The Athletic's Josh Yohe, that the Avalanche might be positioning themselves to acquire Crosby.