The Avalanche seemingly didn’t share that opinion, leading to the trade heard around the hockey world on Friday.
The three-team deal saw the pending UFA go to the Carolina Hurricanes, ending any hope of successful negotiations between the Avs and Rantanen. The trade shocked Rantanen.
“I was willing to take a significant discount from my market value,” Rantanen told New York-based writer Peter Baugh of The Athletic on Monday, ahead of Carolina’s game against the Rangers on Tuesday.
“We had some chats a couple days before and then they traded me. … That’s why I didn’t expect it.”
Leon Draisaitl’s $14-million AAV extension with the Edmonton Oilers and the soon-to-be-rising cap appeared to alter negotiations, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported after the trade. Rantanen is also represented by the same agency as Draisaitl: Octagon.
The Avalanche may have had their own internal cap, however, with Nathan MacKinnon making $12.6 million annually and Cale Makar eligible for an extension in July 2026.
A 100-point scorer the last two seasons, Rantanen will now try to win a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes while deciding if he sees Carolina as a potential long-term fit.
