NHL Trade Talk Rumors: Avalanche, Stars, Panthers, Maple Leafs

In our Sunday NHL Trade Talk rumors report, Mikko Rantanen got emotional and spoke with the media ahead of the matchup between his current team and his former team. Meanwhile, Elliotte Friedman reports that the Florida Panthers and forward Sam Bennett are back at the negotiating table, trying to figure out the details of a contract extension.

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Mikko Rantanen Opens Up About Trade

Mikko Rantanen spoke to the media about his trade from the Colorado Avalanche, saying how grateful he was to have spent so much time with them and clarifying that he never wanted to leave. Rantanen made it clear that he was open to staying long-term.

Rantanen revealed that he had been negotiating with Colorado up until six weeks before the deadline. “I felt at that time I needed to go talk to the front office, which I did, face to face. I told them I’d be flexible and I wanted to play here for a long time,” Rantanen explained. “Then, a couple of days later, they traded me.”

When he got to Carolina, he wasn’t closed off to the idea of potentially signing there. “I never listed any teams, I’ve heard somebody say that,” he stated. “I went there with an open mind to play [in Carolina] long-term, I tried my best.”

Now, after 654 games and a 2022 Stanley Cup win together, Rantanen will face his longtime teammate, Nathan MacKinnon, for the first time. This game could be a preview for a potential first-round playoff matchup between Dallas and Colorado.

Panthers and Bennett Talking Contract

Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday Headlines that the Panthers have restarted their negotiations with Sam Bennett, hoping they can get him locked into a long-term extension. If he makes it to market, Bennett would be one of the most coveted free agents on July 1. The Panthers are hoping they can avoid that, and Friedman noted the Panthers see him as a great fit.

The Panthers have some work to do this summer. With around $19 million in cap space for next season, they’ll need to find room to sign Bennett, along with Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, among others.

Maple Leafs Slumping, Matthews Speaks

Auston Matthews was public about how he wanted the Toronto Maple Leafs to go out and add pieces at this season’s trade deadline. His GM did. How does the team respond? They are have lost two in a row and are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games.

Matthews said after Saturday’s loss, “Details in our game haven’t quite been there, and it’s on us to figure that out and be better.” He added, “We gotta get it through our head that all these games … are going to be playoff-like games … We have to wrap our heads around that and be better all around as a team.”

Matthews is one of the problems, as he’s not scoring. Mitch Marner said of Matthews’ struggles: “I think a lot of people just look at us and want us to get points every single night, and that’s all they care about, but he’s been playing a great defensive game … They’ll eventually start falling.”

Matthews did score a goal on Saturday. The hope is that it sparks an offensive run.

Next: Extending Bedard Could Be a Challenge for the Blackhawks