Three teams have made serious offers for Mikko Rantanen, but the Colorado Avalanche aren’t biting – at least not yet.
Hockey insider Nick Kypreos revealed in his latest Trade Bait report that the Avs have already turned down multiple pitches for their star forward. He thinks the Carolina Hurricanes might be one of the interested teams.
The situation’s getting interesting because contract talks aren’t going smoothly. The Avalanche reportedly offered Rantanen $90 million over eight years earlier this season – that’s $11.25 million per year – but that doesn’t seem to be enough.
It’s easy to see why teams are lining up. Rantanen’s having an incredible year, sitting fourth in NHL scoring with 61 points and tied for fifth with 25 goals.
The timing couldn’t be better for the 28-year-old star. The NHL salary cap is about to take its biggest jump in years, and Rantanen’s looking to cash in big time.
Here’s where it gets tricky for Colorado. Rantanen’s probably looking for more than Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million yearly salary. The Avs don’t want to go there, but they might not have a choice.
The team’s in a tough spot. They’re pushing for the playoffs and Rantanen’s crucial to those hopes. But if they can’t sign him, they risk losing him for nothing this summer when he becomes a free agent.
Any trade would have to be massive. We’re talking roster players, top prospects, and premium draft picks. The interested team would also need enough cap space to give Rantanen the huge contract he’s after.
Sources say the two sides might be as much as $2 million apart in negotiations. That’s a pretty big gap to bridge.
While the Hurricanes are just speculation at this point, one thing’s clear – the Avalanche have some serious thinking to do before the trade deadline.
