Elliotte Friedman Reveals the Reason the Los Angeles Kings Stopped Pursuing Mikko Rantanen
Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
There was a time when the LA Kings were interested in acquiring Mikko Rantanen, however, things quickly turned sour and Elliotte Friedman provided details.
Mikko Rantanen had no interest in making California his home. So much was evident when he wound up being traded to the Dallas Stars, where he signed an extension.
The Kings really wanted Rantanen but he was very uninterested
But before that deal was done, the Los Angeles Kings mounted a genuine chase of the Finnish winger, only to find out he had zero interest in signing for the long haul.
"The Kings were extremely interested in Mikko Rantanen. But once they found out that he was not willing to re-sign in Los Angeles, and got a no, they withdrew themselves from consideration.
First off, I think they were offended that Rantanen didn't want to play in Los Angeles. I mean, who doesn't want to live in California?"
- Frank Seravalli
First off, I think they were offended that Rantanen didn't want to play in Los Angeles. I mean, who doesn't want to live in California?"
- Frank Seravalli
At first glance, it might sound shocking, but in reality, it shouldn't be such a surprise. There's a main factor that is usually forgotten: state taxes. Texas, zero. California? Some of the highest in the country.
Add in the reality that the Kings have not taken home a single playoff series in the last eight years under Rob Blake, while the Stars are legitimate Cup contenders, and Rantanen's decision starts to make even more sense.
He provided a list of four teams he'd sign with long-term, and the Kings simply didn't make the cut.
Meanwhile, another telling moment was when Elliotte Friedman reported that the Carolina Hurricanes had been inquiring about trading for Quinton Byfield of the Kings, but LA wasn't willing to pay that price to acquire an uninterested Rantanen.
"1- The ask was was such LAK said we're not doing that & 2- Rantanen wasn't interested in signing long term."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
It speaks volumes of how much they value Byfield, but it also speaks to how hard they struggle to add to their roster. They wanted Rantanen, but he wasn't interested.
At some point down the road, they're going to have to make a decision on how aggressive they want to be about taking that next step.
| POLL | ||
MARS 17 | 161 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman Reveals the Reason the Los Angeles Kings Stopped Pursuing Mikko Rantanen Would it have been a mistake to trade Quinton Byfield for Mikko Rantanen? | ||
| Yes | 108 | 67.1 % |
| No | 53 | 32.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
