Sportsnet Analyst Links Newly Traded Mikko Rantanen to Western Canadian Team
The newest Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen could receive a massive contract offer from a Canadian team in free agency.
After losing Jake Guentel to the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer, the Carolina Hurricanes will do all they can to make sure Mikko Rantanen remains long-term with the team.
At the 2024 trade deadline, the Hurricanes acquired Jake Guentzel for Michael Bunting, two prospects, and a draft pick, but lost him only a few months later to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
General Manager Eric Tulsky has to make sure the same thing doesn't happen again.
If they let Rantanen enter free agency, other teams are poised to make their offers to the superstar; something the Canes will want to avoid.
While other interesting players are set to become free agents next summer, Rantanen will undoubtedly interest a lot of organizations looking to add a top first-liner to their roster.
In a new development, we learned that the Calgary Flames could be among those teams.
In an intervention on the Real Kyper and Bourne Podcast, Sportsnet's Ryan Leslie revealed that the Flames General Manager Craig Conroy would be interested in signing Rantanen:
Murray Edwards and company of the ownership group are serious about a contender and a winner, and they have always done that.
Now right now, it hasn't made a lot of sense - but now you have some dough (cap space) and as everybody knows in Calgary, Craig wants to spend it wisely. Did Craig fancy a guy like Mikko Rantanen? You're darn right.
Does he fancy some of the big-name free agents? Yes, he does. So, this is just a holding pattern to get various ducks in a row to where he can then go 'big name hunting'."
Rantanen scored only two points in his first six games as a member of the Hurricanes, but will look to have a bounce-back game tomorrow afternoon against the Utah Hockey Club.
