Trade grades: Opportunistic Canes land missing piece in blockbuster

There were rumblings that the upcoming break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament would spur a flurry of early trade activity in the NHL.

Well, Friday's three-team, eight-piece swap certainly qualifies as activity.

Let's break down the blockbuster from all three perspectives.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes were recently rumored to be pursuing a pair of star-caliber forwards in Canucks J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Oh, what simple times.

General manager Eric Tulsky completely outdid himself with this whopper.

Rantanen is a borderline superstar - a top-10 forward and top-15 skater in the NHL. An elite shooter and passer, he's on pace for a third straight 40-goal, 100-point season. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, who's nicknamed "The Moose," is a heady power forward often found swarming the opposing crease. He plays all three forward positions and contributes in every game state.

Rantanen, 28, had always been a bit overshadowed in Colorado by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The three of them won a Stanley Cup together in 2022 and are young enough to be the foundation of another championship club, but a contract impasse with management has ended the partnership.

In Carolina, Rantanen will share the spotlight with fellow countryman Sebastian Aho.

The Finn can drive his own line or link up with Aho and Andrei Svechnikov to form a loaded top trio. While coach Rod Brind'Amour lost a first-line winger in Necas and a fourth-line center in Drury, he's gained a proven difference-maker. Clutch scoring has been an Achilles heel for the Canes; Rantanen's put up 101 points in 81 playoff games. He immediately becomes their go-to scorer.

With their eccentric owner and brainy hockey operations crew, the Hurricanes spent the first five years of Brind'Amour's tenure obsessing over value and sustainability. They'd pursue big names but never pull the trigger on a deal.

The organization stepped out of its comfort zone last season with the Jake Guentzel acquisition. This trade doubles down on the all-in approach. It's also a recognition that Tulsky A) believes Carolina's core is strong enough to challenge for a Cup and B) believes it needed an infusion of talent to increase its odds of advancing past the conference finals for the first time since 2006.

Making this move now, rather than in the final days before the March 7 deadline, gives Rantanen runway to acclimatize to his new life on and off the ice. Bringing him in at $4.625 million versus his full $9.25 million, while removing Necas' deal from the books, leaves the door open for future trades.

Hall, meanwhile, is a third-liner at this stage of his career. He seemed to be regressing in Chicago, so perhaps a change of scenery puts him on the right track. If it doesn't, no biggie. Hall, 33, is a pending unrestricted free agent.

Rantanen is also a pending UFA. The fact that this swap doesn't include an extension means Carolina is assuming risk. It's not the likeliest scenario, but this bold move could blow up in Tulsky's face if a deep playoff run doesn't materialize and Rantanen walks. The GM did part with a few quality assets.

Grade: A

Colorado Avalanche

Despite reports of the Avalanche and Rantanen being far apart in negotiations, an in-season trade seemed far-fetched. Pending UFA stars almost always re-sign with their current team, plus Colorado is attempting to win another Cup.

In other words, there's serious shock value to this transaction, even if it makes sense for Colorado to move on from a player who clearly isn't seeing eye to eye with GM Chris MacFarland. The enviable trio of MacKinnon, Makar, Rantanen is now MacKinnon, Makar ... Necas? That's the Avs' new reality.

That's not to rag on Necas. He's a stud who had a phenomenal first quarter of the season before cooling off in Q2, but he's up to 55 points in 49 games. He's super quick and skilled, ranking very highly among all NHL skaters in zone exits, zone entries, and end-to-end rushes per game. His style matches Colorado's.

Most importantly for the Avs, Necas is younger and cheaper than Rantanen. He just turned 26 and is locked in at $6.5 million per year through 2025-26. The Czechia native will be a UFA but (likely) won't command Rantanen money.

The rest of the package is somewhat notable. Drury, 24, is ultimately a depth player, but he's on the books for only $1.725 million this season and next. The picks are helpful for a contending team that's traded away plenty in the past.

I reached out to a handful of executives, coaches, and agents for instant reaction to one of the most intriguing trades in years. Each person commented on how the Avs made out fairly well, given the circumstances. "If you can't sign a player to the terms you want, then you have to do something like this," texted one assistant GM working for a team not involved in the deal.

Also: it feels as if Colorado - which already turned over its goalie tandem earlier this season - will stay active. This might be Step 1 of many before March 7.

As for a grade, Colorado traded the best player involved - a superstar, no less. The rationale may be reasonable, but it'll be difficult for the Avs to win this deal.

Grade: B-

Chicago Blackhawks

GM Kyle Davidson has reacquired the 2025 third he sent to Carolina last June in exchange for a 2024 third. Why trade a third for a third? The Blackhawks really wanted to draft Jack Pridham and didn't think the forward would be available by the time they picked again. He ended up going 92nd overall.

I'm surprised an NHLer and almost $4.7 million in retained salary didn't net Chicago something juicier than a third. Perhaps Hall's $6-million cap hit downgraded him to a negative asset on the trade market. Either way, a second would've been nice considering Davidson's doing Tulsky a solid.

Still, no major complaints about a rebuilding team flipping unused cap space - which can't carry over to next season - for another draft-day lottery ticket.

Grade: C

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).