The Avalanche made one of the biggest trades in Colorado sports history last week when it sent away star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes in a deal that included the Blackhawks.
In return, the Avs received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, plus a pair of draft picks (2025 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-rounder).
Rantanen, 28, leaves Colorado ranked in the franchise’s top 10 in goals (287), assists (394) and points (681).
Take Our PollHow does the move look outside Colorado? Here’s a roundup of how national media outlets graded it:
The Athletic (Avs grade: B-): “But with Rantanen’s contract situation in mind, it does make sense to take a more proactive approach instead of risking losing him for nothing. Necas is scoring at the highest rate of his career, and could be the boost Colorado’s second-line needs — which became their biggest weaknesses after shoring up their goaltending. If Necas can help elevate Casey Mittelstadt’s game, it’s a step in the right direction. Drury should add depth to the middle six. And with more cap space and some picks, the Avalanche should be well-positioned to do more damage leading up to the deadline,” James Mirtle and Shayna Goldman write. See the full analysis.
Bleacher Report (Grade: B+): “The Avalanche are a worse hockey team because of this deal but they got younger, deeper, and have more long-term flexibility. Rantanen is a monumental loss but MacKinnon and Makar alone can be the spine of a perennial contender. Now with approximately an extra $6 million in cap space after this season to play with, one has to wonder if Colorado is preparing to make another big addition,” Adam Herman writes. See the full analysis.
ESPN (Grade: B+): “Although Necas is not a prolific producer like Rantanen, he does provide the Avs with a consistent two-way center who can anchor their second line in a way in which others have struggled since Nazem Kadri left in free agency after winning the Stanley Cup in 2022,” Ryan S. Clark and Greg Wyshynski write. See the full analysis.
theScore (Grade: B-): “In other words, there’s serious shock value to this transaction, even if it makes sense for Colorado to move on from a player who clearly isn’t seeing eye to eye with GM Chris MacFarland. The enviable trio of MacKinnon, Makar, Rantanen is now MacKinnon, Makar … Necas? That’s the Avs’ new reality,” John Matisz writes. See the full analysis.
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Colorado Avalanche | Mikko Rantanen opens up about Avalanche trade, moving on: “I was ready to take a significant discount” Colorado Avalanche | Martin Necas, Jack Drury on first day with Avalanche: “It was quite crazy” Colorado Avalanche | Stunned Nathan MacKinnon after Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen trade: “It just sucks” Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche Analysis: Trading Mikko Rantanen creates yet another huge “what if” since 2022 Stanley Cup run Colorado Avalanche | David Pastrnak stars as Bruins beat Avalanche 3-1 a day after the Rantanen tradeUSA Today (Grade: C+): “Losing a homegrown player like Rantanen always hurts, but for a competing Colorado team, landing Necas will help soften the blow. Necas, 26, is actually the Hurricanes’ leading scorer right now (55 points in 49 games) and has another year left on his contract at a great price ($6.5 million AAV). Drury, 24, is a young depth option under team control. And it never hurts to add picks,” Jace Evans writes. See the full analysis.
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