Will he re-sign in Carolina after this season -- and if not, where else? And what will other contenders do to keep pace ahead of the March 7 deadline?

Team Finland announced their leadership group for the 4 Nations Face-Off today and both Carolina Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen were named alternate captains. Finland will be captained by Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers and Mikael Granlund of the San Jose Sharks will also serve as an alternate captain.

The Avalanche began the process of moving on with its first win since the deal Sunday afternoon against the Rangers. Drury scored a goal. Necas was dynamic, collecting two assists and hitting both the crossbar and post with shots while playing in Rantanen’s old spot next to MacKinnon.

The Avalanche made one of the biggest trades in Colorado sports history last week when it sent away star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes in a deal that included the Blackhawks. In return, the Avs received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, plus a pair of draft picks (2025 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-rounder).

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."

The Blackhawks could expedite their painstaking rebuilding process and be significant players in free agency this summer.

The Carolina Hurricanes, with Mikko Rantanen, will be in action Thursday versus the Chicago Blackhawks at PNC Arena, beginning at 7:00 PM ET. Considering a bet on Rantanen in the Hurricanes-Blackhawks matchup?

NHL general managers indicated that the Carolina Hurricanes' trade for Mikko Rantanen won't change their deadline approach.

After a shocking trade, the Hurricanes have elevated their chances of winning the Stanley Cup in the 2024-25 NHL season. Which other teams are contenders?

Though there's still season left to play, the Edmonton Oilers will likely face one of these four teams in the first round of the playoffs.

Kapanen and Saad aren’t strangers to each other, either, having played 235 unspectacular minutes together at five-on-five. Without diving into the weeds, if the Oilers do sign Saad, they shouldn’t see the ice together.