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NHL Notebook: Avalanche trade Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports
Ryley Delaney
Jan 25, 2025, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 25, 2025, 11:28 EST
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One of the largest trades in recent memory went down last night.
On Friday evening, the Colorado Avalanche acquired Martin Nečas, Jack Drury, and picks from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Taylor Hall and Mikko Rantanen at 50% retention. Retaining Rantanen is the Chicago Blackhawks, who received a third-round pick for giving up Hall and retaining 50% of Rantanen’s $9.25 million salary.
Rantanen being moved is surprising, to say the least. So far this season, the 28-year-old has 25 goals and 64 points in 49 games. His career-high came two seasons ago when he scored 55 goals and 105 points in 80 games, while also reaching 104 points in 2023-24. Moreover, Rantanen is a postseason performer, scoring 34 goals and 101 points in 81 postseason games.
With that being said, Rantanen is in the final year of his contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent. It’s clear the Avalanche didn’t think they could sign him and decided to get what value they could. Those two picks, the 2025 second and 2026 fourth, can be used for trades later in the season.
It’s not like the Avalanche didn’t get a good player in return either. Nečas is on pace for a career year, as he has 16 goals and 55 points in 49 games this season. If his pace holds the same over a full 82-game season, he’d have 26 goals and 92 points, the latter being a career-high.
Drury isn’t too shabby of a player either, as the 24-year-old centre is itching for a breakout. Last season, the second-round pick in the 2018 draft scored eight goals and 27 points in 74 games but is down to three goals and nine points in 39 games this season. A change of scenery could do him some good.
Both teams did well in this trade, especially if the Avalanche use the extra cap space. The same cannot be said for the Blackhawks. Hall, a soon-to-be-UFA has nine goals and 24 points on a terrible Blackhawks team and would easily warrant a third by himself. Add the fact that they ate a significant contract and their return just makes no sense.

Alexander Ovechkin inches closer to Wayne Gretzky’s record

On Thursday evening, Alexander Ovechkin scored his 22nd goal of the season and his 875th career goal, bringing him to 20 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.
What a year it’s been for the Washington Capitals. As of Saturday morning, their 33-10-5 record with 71 points has them not just at the top of the Metropolitan Division, but at the top of the National Hockey League. A big reason for that is the moves they made in the off-season, such as acquiring Jakob Chychrun and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has turned around his career. For context, they finished in the final Wild Card last season with 91 points thanks to a tiebreaker, just to be swept by the New York Rangers.
Ovechkin himself has turned back time, as the 39-year-old has 22 goals and 34 points in 32 games. Since returning from a broken fibula, Ovechkin has seven goals and nine points in 14 games with 17:11 minutes of ice time per game.
It’s hard to see him not breaking Gretzky’s record of 894 goals this season, but he’s under contract for an additional season if he is unable to reach it.

Nikolaj Ehlers registered his 500th career point

On Friday evening, Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers registered his 500th career National Hockey League point in a 5-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club.
The Danish-born left wing is the first player from his country to hit the 500-point milestone and he did it with his third point of the night on Cole Perfetti’s hat trick. Who gets the puck in this scenario?
Anyway, Ehlers was selected ninth overall by the Jets in the 2014 draft and he’s played his entire career with the team. His career-high in points came in 2016-17, his sophomore season, where he put up 64. His career-high of 28 goals came in 2021-22 in just 62 games. Well, over an 82-game season, Ehlers is on pace to break both totals, as he’s pacing for 30 goals and 86 points. However, he’s missed some time this season with a lower-body injury.
Like the Washington Capitals, the Jets have been terrific in 2024-25. They have a 33-14-3 record with 69 points, leading the Western Conference and just two behind the Capitals in the race for the Pacific Division throne.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.
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