It was a move that nobody in the NHL saw coming, and while Rantanen has had his say on the deal, now Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland has opened up on the big move.
It appears as though those in Colorado have nothing but the utmost respect for Rantanen and all that he did during his time with the Avalanche, but given that they didn't want to meet his $14 million AAV asking price on an extension, moving him now to get a solid return was the right thing to do.
Was this the best deal Colorado could get? We may never quite know, but in return for a pending free agent they landed two solid forwards with bright futures and some draft picks along with some cleared-up salary cap room, and if they can utilize that to add another weapon to this team, it no doubt will be a major win for the organization.