Mikko Rantanen wanted to continue negotiations with the Avalanche

The The Colorado Avalanche stunned the hockey world on Friday night, making one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the 21st century which sent superstar forward Mika Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The only logical explanation for the Avs giving up on a player of Rantanen’s caliber is that the front office was concerned the unrestricted free agent would get too much money for his next contract. Athletics Pierre Lebrun shed some more light on it line of thinking on Saturday morning.

“Rantanen was ready to continue negotiations throughout the season with Colorado.” In fact, both sides had multiple contract talks last week,” a hockey insider reported. “I just couldn’t find enough common ground.” The Avs ultimately calculated that they were never going to get there based on numbers.”

Nathan MacKinnon currently leads Colorado’s payroll with $12.6 million in AAV, and there have been rumblings that Rantanen asked for even more money than that. Even though he is a superstar, it would be hard for Avalanche general manager Chris McFarland to give the Finn more money than the Canadian.

McKinnon won his first Hart Trophy last season and is right in the thick of the conversation to return to the fold in 2025 — not to mention leading the NHL with 75 points in 49 games.

Still, Rantanen is a monumental loss for this team, and the acquisitions of Marty Neckas and Jack Drury won’t be able to fully replace what the 2022 Stanley Cup champion brings to the table in Denver.

Mikko Rantanen is one of the best traded players of the 21st century

The only players with more points than Rantanen over the past five National Hockey League seasons are McKinnon, Leon Draizeitl, Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin. End of list.

He is a true superstar in every sense of the word; “A big winger whose size, finishing touch and passing ability make him one of the toughest players to defend in the league,” wrote well-respected hockey scribe JFresh. “Can score from anywhere, great presence in front of the net, elite puck protector.”

Rantanen was terrific again in 2024-25, with 25 goals and 64 points in 49 games — good for sixth in the league. He will now move to a Hurricanes team that has all the pieces in place but lacks true, elite game-breaking talent.

The 28-year-old will play alongside countryman Sebastian Aha on the front line, who is also likely to be at the forefront of lobbying to convince Rantanen to make a long-term move to Raleigh.

For Colorado, an elite player returns. Necas led the Hurricanes with 55 points in 49 games before the trade, and should fit in well on a line with McKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. He will also — like Rantanen — be immediately thrust into the top game with his new team.

Rantanen will be in the lineup when the Hurricanes visit New York to play the Islanders on Saturday night. Both Necas and Drury are expected to play for the Avalanche against the Boston Bruins in a 1:00 PM ET matinee at TD Garden.

The Mick Rantanen era in Colorado is over; the franchise has decided either it can’t or won’t pay the star player. But one thing is certain: someone will on July 1.