At the trade deadline, the Dallas Stars were finally the team to pull off the blockbuster Mikko Rantanen trade in what was a shocking deal that saw him traded for the second time this season.
The talk around Rantanen staying or going from Carolina after the trade was going on for weeks before the deal was made official, with many believing that it was at the final hour that the former Colorado Avalanche star made his decision to leave.
That may not be the case after all however, as Rantanen has opened up on the whole process in a pre-game interview with Sportsnet, revealing that he made up his mind to leave last week.
With Rantanen making this admission, it becomes even more clear why the Hurricanes had to trade him, and after not getting the approval on a long-term deal before the trade, it becomes a major disappointment for the Hurricanes franchise.
As for No. 96, he's now in Dallas and although the team lost to the Edmonton Oilers in their first game since acquiring him, he had a fantastic night, posting 2 points and his first goal with the team.
After all was said and done, this was a major mistake for Carolina to make, and for Rantanen, he prioritized landing in a spot he wanted to be long-term, and after inking an eight-year, $12 million AAV deal with Dallas, they'll be a contender for years to come, with Mikko set up to be a cornerstone of the franchise.
POLL | ||
MARS 9 | 451 ANSWERS Mikko Rantanen Reveals When He Decided To Leave The Carolina Hurricanes Did Mikko Rantanen make the right move to not re-sign with the Hurricanes? | ||
Yes | 319 | 70.7 % |
No | 132 | 29.3 % |
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