Also: Will Alex Pietrangelo's 4 Nations opt-out lead to more stars prioritizing their health over the event? And who will replace him?

After the shocking blockbuster deal that shipped Mikko Rantanen out of Colorado, he broke silence on his view.

New Hurricanes star winger Mikko Rantanen was reportedly blindsided by his trade from the Avalanche on Friday.

Who won Friday night's blockbuster that saw Mikko Rantanen go from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes?

Last week’s Mikko Rantanen blockbuster has stirred up trade anticipation amongst NHL fans. And as the March 7 NHL trade deadline approaches, fans are left to ponder who could be the next notable name on the move.

The Hurricanes wasted no time making their major cup-chasing move. Despite the NHL Trade deadline being over a month away, Carolina added the most-significant firepower imaginable by acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in a complicated three-way trade involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

Rantanen said he thought talks with the Avs had been productive before the shocking trade to the Canes: "I didn’t know we were in a rush."

Despite being a fan favorite and a key part of the Avalanche's recent success, the salary-cap reality forced their hand.

Mikko Rantanen was dealt to the Hurricanes for Martin Necas, Jack Drury and two draft picks. Follow this tracker for the latest NHL news.

Mikko Rantanen skated to center ice at UBS Arena and a familiar sound emanated from his teammates near the bench. “Moooose.” Rantanen scooped up the puck on his stick, smoothly moved toward the goaltender and then snapped a shot off the crossbar and into the net.

I didn’t think this would need to be updated so quickly. But when a historic mid-season trade between two contenders (and Chicago) breaks on a Friday night, things change.