But even though the trade was unexpected, it doesn’t mean he will automatically continue his career in Carolina for the next few years.
The reason is simple: this summer, the forward will be able to test the free agent market. The Hurricanes better pull out the big bucks if they want to see him stay within the organization…
It’s going to be expensive to sign him, and if the Hurricanes can’t afford it, another club will.
He’s talking about… the Edmonton Oilers:
Andy Strickland has been hearing that if not re-signed by Carolina, Mikko Rantanen may be headed to the Edmonton Oilers in the offseason saying there’s “a belief they can make it happen” cap wise. Rantanen also shares the same agent as Leon Draisaitl.#letsgooilers #raiseup pic.twitter.com/6w40qi1g0H
— John Puck (@johnpuck1992) January 28, 2025
He reminds us that Rantanen and Draisaitl share the same agent (Andy Scott)… And he also points out that the salary cap is set to rise in the coming years.
Because if we look at the team’s salary cap, we realize that there are already players earning big salaries.
Connor McDavid is making an annual salary of $12.5 million until the summer of 2026, and it’s understood that he will sign an even more lucrative contract extension by then…
Leon Draisaitl just signed a $14 million deal that is valid until the summer of 2033…
Zach Hyman earns $5.5 million annually, and his contract ends in 2028…
Ryan Nugent Hopkins has a contract worth $5.125 million per season extending until the end of the 2029 season…
Darnell Nurse has a terrible contract that will pay him $9.25 million per season until the end of the 2029-2030 season…
Oh, and there’s also Evan Bouchard, who is likely to sign a big contract in the coming months. The defenseman – who is among the elite in the NHL – is currently earning just $3.9 million per season and needs to sign a new deal this summer…
The salary cap may be increasing… But the Oilers could quickly find themselves in trouble by signing Rantanen to a long-term deal.
It’s cool to think about having three forwards like that on the same team.
But there still needs to be money to build around them, and that’s where the problem lies…
In brief
– Who will replace Alex Pietrangelo at the Nations Cup?
Decisions, decisions…
Read more from @NHLdotcom on who should be added to Canada’s #4Nations Face-Off roster https://t.co/50cqoH0AaK
: #4Nations Face-Off kicks off with Canada vs. Sweden on February 12 at 8p ET on @NHL_On_TNT, @SportsonMax, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports! pic.twitter.com/Lt6hPF5ukZ
— NHL (@NHL) January 28, 2025
– To be continued.
HOCKEY: The forward from Chambly and former @HFXMooseheads and @SagueneensLHJMQ Raphael Lavoie seems to be getting closer to his first game in the @LNH_FR this season and his first with the Golden Knights, after being sadly bounced between Edmonton and… https://t.co/ySVihoFC8d
— Philippe Germain – VCI (@goVCIca) January 28, 2025
– The result is stunning!
The cover of MLB The Show is explosive. https://t.co/r4fZO6v1IN
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) January 28, 2025
– Oh really?
De’Aaron Fox could spark the trade markethttps://t.co/TMYJXjcS6J
— RDS (@RDSca) January 28, 2025