Colorado Avalanche

Report: Avalanche Traded Rantanen After Big Contract Concession

A new report suggests the Mikko Rantanen trade by the Avalanche was over a ridiculously low amount of money in contract negotiations.

by
Jim Parsons
March 11, 2025

A new report from Daily Faceoff suggests that Mikko Rantanen did all he could to stay with the Colorado Avalanche prior to his shocking trade. In fact, he dropped his contract demand by $2 million in negotiations with his former team before being traded the next day over a reported $400,000 gap. What were the Avalanche thinking?

Mikko Rantanen trade Colorado Avalanche — Mikko Rantanen traded by Colorado Avalanche over $400K

According to the report, Rantanen initially sought $14 million per season but was willing to settle at $12 million. The Avalanche weren’t going to get anywhere close to the $14, but were offering around $11.5-$11.6 million, says Frank Seravalli. The NHL insider explained:

“He said to them, ‘You know what, I know we’ve been asking for 14 but if we could get to 12, that’ll get the deal done’. And I was told he was traded the next day.”

Why Wouldn’t the Avalanche Go Up $400K on Rantanen’s Next Contract?

Amazingly, rather than bridge the remaining difference, they moved on, dealing him to the Carolina Hurricanes. It seems wild to think the Avs would dump one of their top players over such a small amount of money and the report has sparked debate among fans. Many of them don’t buy that the Avs would let Rantanen go under these circumstances. Something else must have been going on.

Some insiders, including 32 Thoughts host Elliotte Friedman, suggested the difference was much larger than reported, possibly exceeding $1 million. Others believe this could be an attempt at damage control, with Rantanen’s camp deflecting blame onto the Avalanche after the trade.

Stranger things have happened, but most reports about the trade mention the same thing; that Rantanen was caught off guard by the trade. It suggests that he thought the two sides were making ground and getting closer. Clearly, the Avs thought otherwise.

The full story behind Rantanen’s departure certainly doesn’t lead to questions. It will be intriguing to see if the truth is ever uncovered.

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