The Carolina Hurricanes Mikko Rantanen saga was fairly an ordeal over the previous week, lastly concluding with him being traded to the Dallas Stars for Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-round picks on Friday afternoon. The Stars instantly signed Rantanen to a brand new eight-year contract extension.
However earlier than they dealt him to Dallas, they reportedly tried to move him to the Toronto Maple Leafs and requested for considered one of their prime stars in return.
That star occurred to be ahead Mitch Marner.
Based on Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Nick Kypreos, the Maple Leafs initially pitched a proposal to Carolina that included younger gamers, prospects and a number of first-round picks.
The Hurricanes then countered by asking for Marner, who like Rantanen, is likely one of the recreation’s finest offensive gamers. He’s additionally eligible for unrestricted free company.
The twist on this story is that the Maple Leafs didn’t instantly reject the supply, and as an alternative went to Marner to ask him if he would have any curiosity in waiving his no-movement clause for Carolina.
Marner reportedly declined, setting the stage for Rantanen to finish up in Dallas.
The very fact Toronto took the supply severely sufficient to even method Marner is a testomony to how a lot they needed Rantanen. Marner has been one of many Maple Leafs’ core gamers for the previous eight years and is likely one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers. However his long-term future in Toronto stays doubtful, not solely due to his pending free company standing, however as a result of the Maple Leafs core — which additionally contains Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander — has persistently failed within the playoffs.
One other failure within the first-round this season might have main ramifications on if the Maple Leafs wish to re-sign Marner and Tavares.
The opposite twist in that is whether or not or not the Maple Leafs approaching Marner a couple of commerce will impression his contract negotiations with the staff after the season. He has been blindly loyal to the Maple Leafs, however might not take kindly to the belief they thought of buying and selling him, even for anyone nearly as good as Rantanen.
The Hurricanes had beforehand acquired Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche this season with the hopes of constructing a Stanley Cup run and probably re-signing him. However Rantanen by no means gave the impression to be a match with the staff and was not prepared to re-sign there. As an alternative of risking dropping him for nothing, Carolina traded him for a haul of draft picks and a rising star in Stankoven.
Marner, nevertheless, would have been an equally massive threat when it comes to long-term outlook given his standing as a pending unrestricted free agent.
Toronto’s commerce deadline strikes noticed it purchase middle Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins.
The Hurricanes didn’t make every other main strikes earlier than the three p.m. ET commerce deadline on Friday afternoon. They nonetheless have among the finest groups within the Jap Convention and will nonetheless be a significant contender for the Stanley Cup.
