“Multiple compelling offers” For Rantanen On The Table

As reported this morning by insider Pierre LeBrun, the Mikko Rantanen camp has confirmed to the Carolina Hurricanes that they will not be making a decision on their extension offer before Friday's deadline.

Now, insider Frank Seravalli reports that the Canes have some very good possibilities to consider.

They have received what sources describe as multiple ‘compelling’ offers for Rantanen and teams still have 24+ hours to make their best deal.

The Canes made a substantial extension offer to their superstar forward, said to be eight years, $100 million+, which would be at least a $12.5M AAV. But Rantanen simply doesn't feel like he's ready to make such a big commitment to a team and a place he only just arrived at six weeks ago.

The Hurricanes certainly have the option of keeping Rantanen as their own 'rental', and having a playoff game-breaker like him in the lineup for a run at the Stanley Cup. A great result in June could even mean that the player decides he's ready to stay on for the long haul in Raleigh.

He has six points in 12 games since arriving in Carolina, a far cry from the 100-point pace he'd been putting up with the Colorado Avalanche the past few years.

The Hurricanes continue to canvas the league for teams' best offers. At least eight top contenders were said to be in the running. If Carolina retains 50% on what's left of Rantanen's contract, bidding teams could have the star forward at a $2.3M cap hit, which just about any top team could find a way to squeeze in to their salary structure.

In the meantime, the Hurricanes refused to make the player available to the media a practice Thursday morning.

Brind’Amour on the noise surrounding Rantanen: “I know, obviously, everyone's talking about it, but he's here this morning, so I'm assuming he'll be here tonight and go at it. … I'm coaching this team right now as if he's here until they tell me he's not.”
— Cory Lavalette (@corylav) March 6, 2025

Now, we wait. 3pm Eastern on Friday is the deadline. And as Seravalli says, "Right now, it’s been best described as a ‘true toss-up’ on which way it goes, with Rantanen staying or going."