Time is running out on the Mikko Rantanen, Carolina Hurricanes situation
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on Saturday Headlines on the tough decision the Carolina Hurricanes will have to make this week. Do they hold on to Mikko Rantanen past the trade deadline if he won’t sign an extension, or do they trade him?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Ron Maclean: “You also, with Kyle, had a great conversation about Mikko Rantanen, and it was a little bit about the Cup possibility for Carolina. If they think it’s real, do they keep them and then lose them to free agency anyway? You go on, where are we at?
So, Mikko Rantanen, the Carolina Hurricanes have a decision to make. It appears unlikely as if Rantanen will make a decision by the trade deadline next Friday, and I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the money the Hurricanes have made him a big offer. I think it’s more just, this has been too much of a whirlwind. It’s, it’s been really quick. He was really shocked at the trade. He hasn’t spent a lot of time in Carolina.
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So it appears, at this time, unlikely that he will make any kind of commitment by Friday. So it’s Carolina’s decision they’re going to have to make, and that is, do they want to go forward, or do they want to consider flipping them. And I think we’ll have a better picture on that in the next couple of days, but I think the ball is in Carolina’s court with what they want to do.”
Maclean: “Lastly on that, you mentioned the eight years. The only team that can give him eight-year contract is a team that has him.
Friedman: “The team that has them at the deadline. That’s that’s the way it works.
Mikko Rantanen and a tight race holding up the market a bit
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on Saturday Headlines on the Mikko Rantanen situation and many teams still in the playoff hunt holding the trade market up a bit.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
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Ron MacLean: “Just watching in the room, Elliot, five trades in 36 hours. There were 20 trades in the seven days leading up to the deadline last year. Do you feel this year is going to be lots of action or what’s your sense?”
Friedman: “I think the Rantanen thing holds over it, whatever Carolina decides to do here. And the other thing too is, I do think there’s a bunch of teams that are right near the playoff cut line right now, Ron, that might wait until Tuesday or Wednesday until they make a final decision either way. So that could open or close things as we proceed.”