The Carolina Hurricanes traded for Mikko Rantanen, and, in a perfect world, would love to keep him around long-term. If they're able to extend him, several of their current players won't be back in 2026.

The Hurricanes made a statement move well in advance of the NHL trade deadline. Carolina GM Eric Tulsky explained the team’s move.

The trade is a stunning midseason swap of point-per-game players in their primes, an anomaly in the NHL trade market in the salary-cap era.