Rantanen has been an essential member of the Avalanche's core since arriving in 2015-16, having won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. Widely regarded as one of the NHL's premier offensive talents, he stands among the league's top five scorers over the last five seasons.

Is it time to bet on the Hurricanes as Stanley Cup champions? What can MacKinnon do without Rantanen? Who will start in net for Sweden and Canada?All that and more.

A stunned Nathan MacKinnon tried to make sense of the Colorado Avalanche trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

The Colorado Avalanche were involved in one of the NHL's biggest recent blockbusters on Friday night when they sent star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-team trade that brought them forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury.

Colorado Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon spoke candidly about his feelings following the blockbuster trade that sent his longtime teammate Mikko Rantanen away from the only franchise he'd ever played for. "It's unfortunate," MacKinnon said, per DNVR Avalanche. “Losing a great friend, great teammate. I’m gonna miss him.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon couldn't hide his frustration when addressing the huge three-team trade involving historic teammate Mikko Rantanen.

Nathan MacKinnon wasn’t exactly impressed when he found out his linemate and close friend had been traded. The 29-year-old from Cole Harbour reacted to Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen’s trade to the Carolina Hurricanes on the weekend and he didn’t have a whole lot of positives to offer.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar issued an honest message to Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the rest of the team after a 3-2 overtime loss against the Winnipeg Jets.

MacKinnon dished out two assists in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Rangers. MacKinnon saw success alongside new linemate Martin Necas and the two provided assists on Cale Makar's pair of first-period goals.

The trade of star winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes brings sadness and shock to Avalanche locker room

The Colorado Avalanche sent shockwaves throughout the NHL Friday night, trading superstar forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, as part of a three-team deal involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

However, their defensive play appeared somewhat unstable, as both of the Jets' regulation goals stemmed from lapses in coverage in front of the net. Despite the loss, Cale Makar expressed strong admiration for Nathan MacKinnon, who scored a goal during the game.