Earlier this year, Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland made a blockbuster move by trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The deal ensured the Avalanche wouldn’t risk losing the star forward for nothing in free agency. By sending him to an Eastern Conference team, MacFarland also minimized future encounters—expecting to see Rantanen only twice a season, or perhaps in a distant Stanley Cup Final.
He didn’t expect to meet him in the first round. But that’s exactly how it played out, and Rantanen made his former team pay. He racked up 10 points over the final three games of the series, including a Game 7 hat trick.
Had Rantanen still been in Colorado, there’s a good chance the Avalanche—not the Stars—would be moving on.
Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon, speaking to a Finnish journalist at the World Championship, expressed that he wished Rantanen was still with the team. While he chose his words carefully to avoid slighting GM MacFarland, Jack Drury, or Martin Necas, it’s clear MacKinnon misses his longtime teammate and friend.
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