Former NHL Exec Suggests Potential Shocking Destination for Mikko Rantanen

What will become of Mikko Rantanen's future with the Carolina Hurricanes? That's probably the biggest question in NHL circles as we get closer to the trade deadline.

After their stunning blockbuster move to land the superstar forward from the Colorado Avalanche last month, some believe that if they aren't able to at least come close to some kind of agreement on an extension by March 7th, the Canes could flip Rantanen.

And while some reports say that every marquee team, regardless of cap implications, will "move mountains" to try to land Rantanen if he reaches free agency, an ex-NHL executive, Steve Werier, the former assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers, in a piece for PuckPedia, has suggested a potentially shocking team that could go all-out to try to sign Rantanen this summer—the Utah HC/Mammoth/Outlaws.

He figures they could offer Rantanen a one-year over-the-top massive deal of $19M, with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge understanding that a huge eight-year deal would follow the next year.

It’s hard to think of a better fit for a new team potentially named the Mammoth than a franchise forward nicknamed Moose. And Utah's Ryan Smith is the type of bold operator, in both business (he recently sold the company he founded for $8 billion) and sports, that I can see buying into a proposal like what I’ve laid out.

If that sort of thing sounds outside the rules, it is... well, officially. But Werier, who was an assistant GM and knows all about these things, says "the parties could easily come to an unspoken understanding about their intent, with a plan to formalize negotiations on or after Jan 1, 2026. Things like that frequently happen in the NHL."

It's thought that on a regular, run-of-the-mill, superstar extension, Rantanen could command a $14M AAV, or more.

We're sure plenty of other teams will come out of the woodwork as potential suitors for the Finnish star if the Canes can't lock him up. This will be quite the drama to watch unfold over the next few weeks (and potentially months).