The Colorado Avalanche made a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes while brokering a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Colorado traded Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes, receiving Martin Necas and Jack Drury in return.
Night Cap Recap
Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall heading into the Carolina Hurricanes #goavsgo #raiseup #blackhawks pic.twitter.com/vQxrdTpatz
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) January 25, 2025
As NHLRumors.com has documented, Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland has been busy reshaping this roster. It started with the goaltending, bringing in Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. Even with the upgrades in the goaltending position, the Avalanche felt they did a couple of seasons ago before they got Nazem Kadri.
NHL Rumors: Fallout From the Mikko Rantanen Trade to the Hurricanes
The offense ran through Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. However, a part of that dynamic duo is gone. While Martin Necas and Jack Drury are in, and are nice pieces, the Avalanche are not done.
We know Colorado has been looking for a second-line center since Kadri left for Calgary. They have not been happy with Casey Mittelstadt. Remember, the Avalanche traded Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for Mittelstadt. But his game has slipped, and the Avalanche are in win-now mode and want to win a Stanley Cup.
Are the Colorado Avalanche Rolling the Dice with Mackenzie Blackwood?
So, the big question is what is next for the Colorado Avalanche. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was on NHL Network and was asked by host Siera Santos, what comes for both teams, but more specifically the Avalanche, as there were reports they were not finished.
“I think for Colorado, they aren’t done yet. They have a little bit of room. They have a little bit of flexibility. And I think they will continue to look at especially forwards and centers that they can add to their roster,” Friedman said. “They clearly haven’t been happy with the Casey Mittelstadt fit so far. And I think they will continue to look at the market players like Brock Nelson. I think would be on their radar to see if they can acquire him. I don’t expect the Avalanche to be done at all.”
We know they are waiting for Gabriel Landeskog to return from injury. But as of now, that is a long shot. So they will have his cap hit to play with again. Again, the New York Islanders and Brock Nelson could be a long shot because of how their GM operates. The Islanders will never be out of things for Lou Lamoriello, but there are other players out there, too. Could they throw their name into the ring for J.T. Miller?
So the expectation is the Colorado Avalanche are not done making moves, and activity continues to heat up ahead of Four Nations.