Mikko Rantanen's Future Plans Reportedly Revealed As He Doesn't Intend To Sign In Carolina

In what seems to be a long time ago now, the Colorado Avalanche sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a blockbuster deal, but with underwhelming returns thus far, there's whispers this may not be a partnership for long.

Not only has there been rumours that the Hurricanes could potentially flip the pending UFA in the coming weeks, but now, it appears as though Rantanen doesn't see his future in Carolina either.

According to David Pagnotta, the chatter around the league right now is that Rantanen is not willing to sign a long-term deal with the Hurricanes before or after the 2024/25 season, and after giving up Martin Necas and Jack Drury in the deal, it would be a major issue if he left for nothing.

On the topic of Rantanen in free agency, Pagnotta would then go on to say it's very possible that No. 96 gets a deal worth more than $14 million a year if he hits the free agent market, and with teams out there willing to spend, he's ready to capitalize on the growing salary cap in the NHL.

Despite his struggles in Carolina thus far, Rantanen still has 26 goals and 40 points in 55 games played this season, and given the size and the production thus far in his career, teams like Calgary, Chicago and others with plenty of cap space will be lining up to land him in the summer.

As of right now, this is a huge story to keep an eye on, as it appears that things are trending towards another Rantanen trade this season, but if not, all signs point towards his free agency becoming the biggest story of the 2025 summer in the NHL.