Nathan MacKinnon Makes His Feelings Extremely Clear on All-Star Teammate Mikko Rantanen's Surprising Trade

The past 24 hours in the NHL have been nothing short of chaotic, with the Colorado Avalanche completing a blockbuster trade to move All-Star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Avalanche fans were absolutely shocked that their 2015 first-round pick was on the move, but given that it was seemingly bound to happen in the summer, the team made the right move to get assets in return for him.

That doesn't make it any easier to stomach for his teammates however, as Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon opened up on the shock that he felt with the trade, summing up his feelings in a quick statement.

Since debuting in 2015/16, Rantanen played in 619 regular season games with the Avalanche on top of 81 in the post-season, as he played a key role in their 2022 Stanley Cup victory, the third in franchise history.

Although MacKinnon will now have the opportunity to play with Martin Necas, who many believe has a very bright future in the NHL, the relationship he's built up with Rantanen isn't an easy one to let go of, so it may take some time for him to adjust without No. 96 on his wing.

Ultimately, the NHL has been and will always be a business, but given the personal relationships that players build over a decade, this was never going to be easy, with the team believing they needed to make the tough decision that benefits the future of the organization.