As Martin Necas, Jack Drury Settle In For The Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen’s Future Remains Murky
As Martin Necas, Jack Drury Settle In For The Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen’s Future Remains Murky
Blog Article
The Colorado Avalanche has come a long way from that surreal Saturday afternoon in Boston six weeks ago.
Martin Necas and Jack Drury have settled in nicely, both on and off the ice, with the club. The short-term return on the NHL’s biggest in-season trade in two decades has been nothing but positive. The raw emotions of losing a core player and beloved teammate, Mikko Rantanen, have subsided, because life in the NHL goes on.
The day after Rantanen went to the Carolina Hurricanes in the blockbuster deal, the Avalanche locker room was still shell-shocked. Meanwhile, it was a celebration in Raleigh, because the franchise had just traded for someone who immediately became one of the best players in franchise history.
Six weeks later, the vibes — at least externally — have changed. Rantanen has not signed a contract with the Hurricanes. National media has posted near-hourly updates speculating about Carolina potentially trading him again before the deadline, which is 1 p.M. Friday.
“Yeah, obviously I’ve seen it,” Necas said. “I still talk to guys on their team. It’s a tough position for them. They probably should have known that he would (or wouldn’t) sign in Carolina. I don’t know if he’s signing or not. There’s lots of rumors.”
Rantanen is in the final year of his contract and can be an unrestricted free agent July 1. There is some context that probably isn’t helping the situation and fueled what is now the biggest story in the NHL (again).
The Hurricanes made a splashy move before the deadline last season by adding Jake Guentzel, but he did not sign and left for Tampa Bay in free agency. “Carolina can’t do this again” is definitely a view held by some outside the organization, even though the two situations are different.
Carolina was also on a road trip when the trade happened, and then the 4 Nations break was shortly after. Friday will mark six weeks since the trade, but Rantanen has spent fewer than 10 days in Raleigh without a game to play.
That’s hardly enough time to settle into a new city, let alone make a decision that will affect the next eight years of his life. Necas and Drury don’t have to deal with that pressure because they are under contract for next season.