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Could the Leafs pitch a trade offer for Hurricanes’ Mikko Rantanen? GM Brad Treliving ‘considering all options’

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Trade deadline season means NHL GMs are on a shopping spree, and for Toronto’s Brad Treliving, it looks like one huge name might be on his list.

On Sportsnet 590’s Real Kyper & Bourne Wednesday afternoon, Nick Kypreos was joined by Gord Stellick and Sam McKee to discuss all things NHL trade deadline. And of course, the hot topic of Mikko Rantanen came up, as just one month after being a huge piece in a blockbuster trade, he may be on the market again as the Hurricanes struggle to sign him long term.

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McKee introduced the topic by reading an excerpt from Kypreos’ Thursday trade blog, where he writes about the possibility of Rantanen making his way north:

Teams are ready to pounce on Rantanen … In the East, the Florida Panthers could be a team in the running for Rantanen if Matthew Tkachuk’s long-term groin injury potentially ends his regular season. And don’t rule out the Toronto Maple Leafs either, as they could acquire Rantanen as a bit of security in case Mitch Marner decides to head to free agency on July 1. They could seamlessly replace Marner with Rantanen on a line with Auston Matthews and could probably get an extension done.

Rantanen was dealt to the Hurricanes in January, along with Taylor Hall, in a three-team trade that included sending Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and picks to the Colorado Avalanche, with the Chicago Blackhawks receiving a 2025 third-round pick for retaining 50% of Rantanen’s $9.25 million salary. Since the move, Rantanen has struggled to produce, with only one goal and three points in eight games played. While it’s a small sample size, they’re uncharacteristically low numbers for the winger who has been a point-per-game player in nearly every season since his sophomore year (he had 41 points in 42 games in the 2019-20 season), including 64 points in 49 games with the Avalanche before being traded.

Rantanen would be a very attractive piece to the Maple Leafs, shoring up their top six as they look to make a deeper playoff run this season than they’ve managed in decades. The idea of him playing alongside someone like Mitch Marner in the Stanley Cup playoffs is enough to get the attention of any Leafs fan and management as well.

“Brad Treliving is looking at all options, and that would be one of them,” said Kypreos on Toronto’s interest in Rantanen.

With the Blackhawks already retaining half of Rantanen’s $9.25 million salary, the Hurricanes could retain up to 50% of what’s remaining, Kypreos explains. This means Rantanen could theoretically come to the Maple Leafs as a $2.31 million player, which would be a real steal for a player of his prowess. However, this salary retention would likely be a tough sell to Carolina and would require more sacrifice of prospects and/or picks from Toronto to make it work, adds Stellick.

And that brings us to the worst part of every shopping trip: checking the price tag. Leafs fans might salivate at the idea of Toronto getting a player like Rantanen for only a couple of million, but they can rest assured that most other teams would be more than interested at that figure as well. Carolina gave up Necas to get Rantanen, and they’re going to want a big name back to ship him off. It’s hard to imagine for the Leafs that that doesn’t include someone like a Matthew Knies or another top-six forward and may include top prospects like Easton Cowan and/or Fraser Minten as well.

There are certainly lots of questions around the feasibility of Rantanen making his way to Toronto, but it’s not impossible at this point, either. As a contending team ahead of the deadline, it’s up to Treliving to dream big, get creative, or pray Rantanen stays on the market until July 1st.

Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!