Colorado Avalanche's Final Contract Offer to Mikko Rantanen Leaked by Elliotte Friedman
Colorado Avalanche's final contract offer to Mikko Rantanen before trading him to the Carolina Hurricanes was leaked by the renowned insider Elliotte Friedman.
It's no secret that the financial situation of the Colorado Avalanche organization has caused many headaches for the team's management. With Nathan MacKinnon's $12,600,000 AAV contract and Cale Makar's contract expiring in a few years, it was ultimately decided that there was no room for Mikko Rantanen in the long-term plans.
Despite being a fan favorite and a key part of the Avalanche's recent success, the salary cap reality forced their hand.
After Leon Draisaitl signed his massive $14M AAV extension with the Edmonton Oilers, Rantanen reportedly sought a number close to that.
However, the Avalanche were unwilling to offer more than MacKinnon's salary, which they see as a ceiling for their contracts. This difference in financial expectations created a stalemate that led to Rantanen's eventual departure.
Elliotte Friedman provided crucial details yesterday, shedding light on Colorado's final offer to Rantanen.
He revealed that the Avalanche were willing to make Rantanen the highest-paid winger in the NHL, surpassing Artemi Panarin's $11.64 million annual salary.
The proposed eight-year deal was valued at $11.75M annually, a significant commitment that still fell short of Rantanen's desired number.
Ultimately, the Avalanche's offer wasn't enough, prompting the decision to trade him to the Carolina Hurricanes, a team with ample cap space to meet his demands.
For Colorado fans, losing Rantanen is a bitter pill to swallow.
In return, the Avalanche acquired a third-line center in Jack Drury and a promising, but inconsistent, forward in Martin Necas-assets that hardly replace the impact of Rantanen.
This trade underscores the harsh realities of the salary cap era, where even franchise players aren't guaranteed a long-term future with their team.
