Kyle Dubas Urged to Acquire 50-Goal Scorer After Latest Elliotte Friedman Report
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NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that Mikko Rantanen has rejected a massive contract offer from the Hurricanes, opening the door for Kyle Dubas to swoop in.
The Carolina Hurricanes went big game hunting during the 2024-25 NHL season by trading for Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche.
The trade was only the first step, and Carolina now has the daunting task of retaining Rantanen, who is on an expiring contract and is well sought after around the league.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that during the Four Nations Face-Off tournament, the Hurricanes let loose a sizeable offer of over $100 million.
"During the Four Nations break the Hurricanes met with his representatives face to face," said Friedman during Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night. "The Hurricanes made an offer."
"I believe that offer is into the 9 digits," revealed Friedman. "So it's a big, big, offer."
"I believe that offer is into the 9 digits," revealed Friedman. "So it's a big, big, offer."
The offer was promptly rejected, which has left Rantanen, his representatives, and the rest of the league clueless about what he plans to do next.
"Rantanen at this point in time has said, not yes and not no, he's just said 'I still need to process everything' so at this point in time there's no answer from Rantanen."
Given the amount of time left until the March 7th trade deadline, Carolina stands in a position to offload Rantanen if they feel that the centerman is most likely to dip into free agency.
Rantanen could be Crosby's replacement once he retires
The Pittsburgh Penguins loom as a potential destination for Rantanen if he decides to test the free agency.
With Sidney Crosby's eventual retirement, the team would have plenty of cap space to work with in addition to the possibility of Rantanen replacing Crosby as the franchise cornerstone that Kyle Dubas could build his team around.
In the event Rantanen decides to pursue his options, he could become one of the most sought-after players during the offseason, which would spell trouble for the Hurricanes.
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