Rantanen said he thought talks with the Avs had been productive before the shocking trade to the Canes: "I didn’t know we were in a rush."

The Avalanche began the process of moving on with its first win since the deal Sunday afternoon against the Rangers. Drury scored a goal. Necas was dynamic, collecting two assists and hitting both the crossbar and post with shots while playing in Rantanen’s old spot next to MacKinnon.

The Avalanche made one of the biggest trades in Colorado sports history last week when it sent away star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes in a deal that included the Blackhawks. In return, the Avs received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, plus a pair of draft picks (2025 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-rounder).

Mikko Rantanen says he was willing to take a discount to stay with the Avalanche before the Hurricanes trade happened.

The Colorado Avalanche have traded 28-year-old star forward Mikko Rantanen. The team confirmed the move late Friday night.

The Colorado Avalanche have traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, according to multiple reports. Once official, this will be one of the most stunning transactions in franchise history. Martin Necas and Jack Drury are coming to Colorado as part of the deal,

Rantanen has been an essential member of the Avalanche's core since arriving in 2015-16, having won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. Widely regarded as one of the NHL's premier offensive talents, he stands among the league's top five scorers over the last five seasons.

Will he re-sign in Carolina after this season -- and if not, where else? And what will other contenders do to keep pace ahead of the March 7 deadline?

The Blackhawks could expedite their painstaking rebuilding process and be significant players in free agency this summer.

The Avalanche have been making major changes to their roster all season. But there's a former Av who is a free agent -- and a potential reunion for him in Colorado is intriguing.

There were many teams that were shocked that the Colorado Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes. One