In a surprising three-team trade, Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall are headed to the Hurricanes, while Martin Necas will join the Avalanche, with the deal taking place more than a month before the March 7 trade deadline, according to multiple reports.
Jack Drury will also be traded from the Hurricanes to the Avalanche, as per ESPN. The Blackhawks, currently tied for the fewest points in the NHL but involved in a deal with two playoff-contending teams, will receive a third-round pick from Carolina and retain 50% of Rantanen’s salary.
The Avalanche will also receive a second-round pick in 2025 and a fourth-round pick in 2026 from the Hurricanes, ESPN reports.
Rantanen, 28, has scored 25 goals and 64 points in 49 games this season, on pace to exceed 40 goals for the third consecutive year. He helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2021-22 and has contributed significantly to their current standing as the first wild-card team in the Western Conference, complementing Nathan MacKinnon’s league-leading 75 points.
Hall, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2010 and Hart Trophy winner in 2017-18, will join the Hurricanes, the No. 2 team in the Metropolitan Division. This will be Hall’s seventh team, and his performance has declined since his MVP season.
Despite losing Rantanen, the Avalanche are gaining another top forward in Necas, who has 16 goals and 55 points this season. Both Rantanen and Hall will become unrestricted free agents after this season, while Necas has one more year left on his contract with a $6.5 million annual average salary before also becoming a UFA.
