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Mikko Rantanen Breaks Silence on Avalanche Exit and Hurricanes Trade
Mikko Rantanen was traded not once, but twice this season, and now he's opened up on what led to his departure from both Colorado and Carolina.
This season has been an absolute rollercoaster for Mikko Rantanen, who was sent from Colorado to Carolina, before ultimately being sent back to the Central Division, inking an eight-year extension in the process with the Dallas Stars.
The entire process has brought with it plenty of 'he said-he said' and confusion about why things went down, and in his recent comments, Rantanen has thrown even more confusion into the story.
«Six weeks before the deadline, we were still negotiating at that point, and I felt at that time I needed to go talk to (the) front office, which I did, face to face. I told them I'll be flexible, and I want to play here for a long time. Then a couple days later they traded me."
Those were Rantanen's latest comments, suggesting that he had no desire to leave Colorado in the first place, but with a major extension not in place, GM Chris MacFarland clearly didn't want to take the risk of losing him in the summer for nothing.
As for his time in Carolina, Rantanen suggested that he went with an open mind and didn't present the 'Canes with an ultimatum as has been reported, stating he was ready to play there long-term if that's how things played out, but ultimately they didn't.
«First couple days were slow. Little shock. Shock, for sure. But then I went there with an open mind, you know. I never, never listed any teams in that point. I've heard somebody say that, you know, I went there with an open mind to play there long term. I tried my best.»
Now, the superstar winger heads back to Ball Arena in Colorado for the first time as an opposing player, ahead of which he stated that he hopes the reception is positive from the home fans.
«Personally, emotional. Hopefully, positive from the fans from that standpoint that, you know, like I said, I never wanted to leave. So, it wasn't like I asked for us to leave. So, hopefully, it's positive. You know, I have good memories here, and gonna be emotional, for sure.»
It's unclear how things will go down, although most fans will likely not be as positive as Rantanen hopes, and even though he's set to be a rival for a long, long time to come, his time in Colorado will be looked back upon fondly one day.
| POLL | ||
MARS 15 | 364 ANSWERS Mikko Rantanen Breaks Silence on Avalanche Exit and Hurricanes Trade Did the Avalanche make the right move by trading Rantanen? | ||
| Yes | 200 | 54.9 % |
| No | 164 | 45.1 % |
| List of polls | ||