Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Pierre LeBrun Drops Major Update on Rantanen Trade Status as Deadline Looms
The trade deadline is nearing, and NHL insider Pierre LeBrun dropped some information on Mikko Rantanen that suggests the Hurricanes could keep him.
Mikko Rantanen's future is the largest story in the NHL today. The Hurricanes clearly would like to keep him because they wouldn't have put a nine-figure offer in front of him otherwise.
Management would prefer to sign him long-term with Carolina and bet the farm on a huge contract offer.
There is still a chance that he is traded before March 7, though. Why? Carolina does not wish to lose him for free next season.
If the extension isn't signed on deadline day, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli believes owner Tom Dundon would consider trading him as a way of recovering some assets.
Meanwhile, Elliotte Friedman on '32 Thoughts' proposes that the Hurricanes simply must have Rantanen in their camp at any cost, try to win a Stanley Cup, and then leverage that Stanley Cup trophy to negotiate that he remains with them when it comes to free agency.
The only stipulation is that if he were to sign elsewhere in free agency, nothing comes back to them.
The Hurricanes won't get as much for Rantanen as what they paid
And Pierre LeBrun's take: the Hurricanes can simply hold onto Rantanen because they realize they won't be able to secure equal trade value for him. They paid too much to acquire him, and it would be a massive loss to trade him now.
Go win it with him. You've got until July 1 to figure out the contract. If you win the Cup and he walks, so be it. I just don't think you're re-couping the same value before next Friday that you paid to get him Jan. 24 from Colorado. Could I be wrong? Of course. Just my opinion!
- Pierre LeBrun
- Pierre LeBrun
As uncertainty grows surrounding Rantanen's contract status and his performance in Carolina, teams leaguewide are starting to make their moves.
The soap opera is only just starting, and everyone will have their noses fixed on their television sets and phones watching the Hurricanes as the clock starts to run down.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 27 | 253 ANSWERS Pierre LeBrun Drops Major Update on Rantanen Trade Status as Deadline Looms Will Carolina keep or trade Mikko Rantanen? | ||
| Yes | 141 | 55.7 % |
| No | 112 | 44.3 % |
| List of polls | ||