Carolina Hurricanes

Maple Leafs Were “All In” on Rantanen, Had 2 Big Offers on Table

The Toronto Maple Leafs did make a huge push to land Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline, says an insider. They made two big offers.

by
Jim Parsons
March 8, 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a strong push to acquire Carolina Hurricanes’ star forward Mikko Rantanen before the end of Friday’s NHL trade deadline,. Rantanen ultimately went to the Dallas Stars, but the Leafs were in the mix, says Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos.

In fact, the Maple Leafs had two huge offers on the table. One included the pieces going back to the Hurricanes. The other an extension offer to get Rantanen to sign a long-term deal in Toronto.

“The Leafs had Minten, Cowan and two firsts on the table for Rantanen… Carolina said no on the thought that they could meet the Leafs and Rantanen in the playoffs.”@RealKyper shares insight on the #Leafs' offer for Rantanen with @jtbourne & @SamAMcKee.#RaiseUp #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/zPIO2H8Mr1
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) March 7, 2025

The Leafs had reportedly offered a package included top prospects Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan, along with two first-round picks. If that had worked, Kypreos said the Leafs were willing to spend between $105 million and $110 million over eight seasons to lock Rantanen into a new deal.

It would have essentially meant the end of Mitch Marner after this season, but it would have gotten the Leafs a top-line right-winger for under $14 million per season.

Hurricanes Shut the Deal Down for Playoff Reasons

Carolina declined the deal. Kypreos claimed it was out of fear the Hurricanes might meet the Leafs int he playoffs. The Hurricanes, who had acquired Rantanen from Colorado earlier in the season, prioritized sending him out West and “They did not want to run into Rantanen. They did not want to run into the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs.”

However, it remains unclear if Rantanen was interested in signing with the Leafs beyond this season.

With the Rantanen trade off the table, Toronto pivoted. They acquired Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers and Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins. Kypreos credited the Leafs with having a solid Plan B.

Justin Bourne pointed out that had the Leafs landed Rantanen, they likely wouldn’t have been able to bolster their blue line. Kypreos agreed and said Rantanen was meant to be the big swing move.

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