Chris MacFarland pointed to Rantanen’s pending free agency and the club’s desire to get deeper after three years of being short in that department as reasons for the trade. The NHL’s salary cap ceiling, which is set at $88 million this year but is expected to rise — possibly significantly — in the next couple of seasons is also a factor.

Rantanen has been an essential member of the Avalanche's core since arriving in 2015-16, having won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. Widely regarded as one of the NHL's premier offensive talents, he stands among the league's top five scorers over the last five seasons.

Chris MacFarland said Mikko Rantanen’s pending free agency, need for more depth were biggest factors in seismic move.

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates with the bench after scoring against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Ball Arena in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

The Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen on Friday night and less than 24 hours later packed up bags on Causeway Street after a 3-1 loss to the Bruins at TD Garden. Absent Rantanen, who entered the ...

The Rangers look to rebound from a disappointing loss to the Avalanche. After facing Martin Necas and Jack Drury with their new team Sunday, New York gets to take on Mikko Rantanen on his. The Blueshirts are on the midst of a critical and rough seven game stretch leading into the 4 Nations Faceoff with games against Boston (home and away),

After that game, Avalanche players finally had a chance to publicly react to the trade, and the team's best player, Nathan MacKinnon, had one of the stronger reactions.

BOSTON — Facing the prospect of Mikko Rantanen becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season, Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland felt the timing was right to trade the star forward and bolster the Avalanche’s roster for the future.

The Mikko Rantanen trade undoubtedly ranks among the biggest in the salary cap era, but maybe recency bias plays a role in that perception. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some other blockbuster contenders.

The Guardians, Royals and Tigers have taken differing approaches to building off their successful 2024 seasons. More than a dozen people were killed after police said a man drove a truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street on New Year's Day.

Aleksander Barkov takes pride in wearing the 'C' as captain of the Florida Panthers. So, he appreciates the meaning of being able to also do it while representing his country. Barkov was named captain for Team Finland for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday.