Rantanen Opens Up: Was Willing To Take "Significantly" Less To Stay in Colorado

The Mikko Rantanen blockbuster is still making waves across the hockey world on Monday, and the latest comes all the way from a Finnish report. And Colorado Avalanche fans are not going to like this. The newest Carolina Hurricane is quoted as saying he was willing to take significantly less than what he believed was his market value in order to stay in Colorado.

Mikko Rantanen told a Finnish newspaper that he was willing to take a below market value deal to stay in Colorado and that the trade came as a surprise to him pic.twitter.com/8ZIh7jH5oK
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 27, 2025

I was shocked. It was definitely unexpected... I didn't think I would be traded. I strongly believed that an extension would be made at some point.

I don't want to talk exact numbers, but I was willing to take a significant cut below my market value. That's why this trade was such a shock to me.

Whoa. That's gotta hurt Avs fans. All the reports out there had the Avalanche standing firm on their 'internal cap' of less than a $12.6 million AAV, to maintain Nathan MacKinnon as their salary king. The Rantanen camp was believed to be looking in the $13M+ range. But now we have to wonder, based on his comments to Finnish reporters which he repeated again on Monday after practice.

To add insult to injury, MacKinnon, who was also stunned and saddened by the trade, added that he couldn't have cared less if Rantanen earned more than him.

As for what Rantanen can earn in his future, one insider has speculated on the wild amount he will demand if he makes it to unrestricted free agency.