Report: Niagara Falls, N.Y. wants OHL team, but must resolve land dispute
Another American city has emerged as a candidate for OHL expansion.
The Hurricanes appear to be loading up.
Carolina is acquiring right winger Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The deal is part of a three-team trade involving the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hurricanes will also acquire left winger Taylor Hall, the Avalanche will receive centres Martin Necas and Jack Drury, and the Blackhawks will get a third-round pick and retain 50 per cent of Rantanen’s $9.25M cap hit.
Rantanen had been with the Avalanche for his entire 10-year career, winning a Stanley Cup with the squad in 2022. He was drafted 10th overall by Colorado in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The one-time All-Star has yet to miss a game this season, putting up 25 goals and 39 assists through his 49 appearances. He leads Colorado in scoring — including a team-best five game-winning goals — while ranking second in assists, second in points and fourth in total ice time.
Rantanen’s 64 points currently rank sixth in the NHL, while his goal total sits seventh. If he maintains this pace with the Hurricanes, he would be Carolina’s first player to finish in the top 10 in scoring over an 82-game season since Eric Staal in 2005-06.
Rantanen has the fourth-most points (431) in the league through the last five seasons, only behind now-former teammate Nathan MacKinnon (479), Leon Draisaitl (502) and Connor McDavid (578).
Carolina is currently 30-16-3 and sits second in the Metropolitan division with 63 points.
More to come.