Sportsnet 590 The FAN: Elliotte Friedman when asked this afternoon about Carolina Hurricanes pending UFA Mikko Rantanen and what might happen tomorrow and beyond.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Matt Marchese: “Okay, Mikko Rantanen. You put out the blog post last night. So, the Hurricanes are exploring all options for the player. How likely do you think this is to happen? Like, again, this is one of the craziest things that we’ve seen. To get to this point is wild, but now thinking, you know, maybe he gets traded with an extension and all these things, like, there’s so many variables here. How do you think this one plays itself out?
Friedman: “I think there’s two key things here. Number one, where is he willing to sign? And because I do think that there are trades that can be made out there with a sign Rantanen. I do believe that.
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So I think it comes down, as I can tell this morning and again, with the realization that everything changes with one phone call. And what’s true now may not be true in a minute. So please take that into account, sure. But as far as I could tell this morning, nobody, as of when I at about, as of 9 am has been given permission to talk to him.
So it’s harder to gage that, but I do believe that a signed Rantanen could give the Hurricanes a good trade. Then it comes down to who’s, how comfortable are people with trading for an unsigned Rantanen.
Like, I think there are teams out there that are happy to take him as a rental. But you know, what are those, what are those contracts, what are those trades look like? Does that really appeal to Carolina.
And some of those teams, I just look at their rosters. Like, like, I would say this, like, knowing their history, you’ve got to think that Vegas would be in for Rantanen as a rental. Knowing their history and what they’ve got available right now because the injuries. You’ve got to think that Florida, because, remember, he could be $2.3 (million). right? You’ve got to think Florida would be in on Rantanen as a rental. But again, what do you have to trade?
Marchese: “Yeah.
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Friedman: “So I think when, so when I’m looking at this, I’m looking at it number one, a signed Rantanen. I think they can do that, and I think they can make a reasonably good trade, if not a great trade. I think, I think there are trades that could be made with a signed Rantanen, but that’s up to the player.
And number two, I just, as a rental again, I think, teams are willing to do it but is there a deal that would make Carolina happy on a rental basis. That I’m less clear of right now.
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