Avs President Joe Sakic admits trading Mikko Rantanen was a ‘tough decision’ following elimination from 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs

The Colorado Avalanche traded away Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes earlier this year, who then traded him to the Dallas Stars.

Avs President Joe Sakic admits trading Mikko Rantanen was a ‘tough decision’ following elimination from 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs

Joe Sakic and Mikko Rantanen (Image via NBC Sports/SB Nation)

This past Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche suffered a heartbreaking elimination at the hands of the Dallas Stars as their former star, Mikko Rantanen, came back to haunt them. Following the elimination, Avs President Joe Sakic broke his silence regarding his trade and admitted that it was a ‘tough decision.’

Rantanen started the 2024-25 season with the Avs. He was in the final year of his contract. The Avs traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in order to not lose him for free as it seemed that he would not sign an extension with the team.

The trade move to the Hurricanes did not work out well, and the Finnish international was soon traded to the Dallas Stars. He ended up signing an 8-year $96 million contract extension with the Dallas-based outfit.

After a heroic 4-point performance in Game 6, Rantanen stunned his former side in Game 7. With the Avalanche leading 2-0 in the third period, Rantanen scored twice to level the game before playing a part in the go-ahead goal. In the dying moments, he wrapped up the game with an empty net goal and completed his hattrick.

A few days after suffering the elimination at the hands of Rantanen and the Stars, Avs President Joe Sakic spoke to the media. During this, he admitted that parting with the Finnish forward was not an easy decision for the franchise.

I was part of everything that was going on. It’s a tough decision trading a guy like that… We wanted to have him signed. I’m not going to go into details and talk about negotiations, but they know where they were at before the trade was made.

Joe Sakic told the reporters

Rantanen joined the Avs in 2015 as a draft pick. He went on to spend 9 years before being traded to the Hurricanes in exchange for Jack Drury and Martin Necas.

NHL insider believes Mikko Rantanen would have signed the same $12 million a year contract with Avalanche

Mikko Rantanen’s trade by the Colorado Avalanche stunned the NHL world. The 2022 Stanley Cup winners traded away one of their top forwards instead of trying to sign him to a contract extension. An NHL insider believes that the Finnish star would have signed the same $12 million a year deal with the Avs as well.

Mikko Rantanen
Mikko Rantanen (Image via Yardbarker)

While speaking on the Real Kyper and Bourne Show, NHL insider Nick Kypreos claimed that he heard the agents keeping a base price of $13 million for Rantanen. However, as per Kypreos, Rantanen was ready to take a value lower than Nathan MacKinnon.

I believe that their last offer came in around 11.6, and now the agents are at 13 on a fair market price for him. Then, Rantanen got involved; he went back to the office and said, I am flexible, we can work this out. And then 48 hours to 72 hours later, traded to Carolina. He would’ve signed at 12 all day long. I’m telling you, all day long. I can sit here with a straight face and look at both of you and say, That same contract would’ve got it done in Colorado.

Nick Kypreos said

MacKinnon signed an 8-year $100.8 million deal, which sees him make around $12.6 million per year. As per Kypreos, Rantanen was okay to get paid less than his ex-teammate. While joining the Dallas Stars, he quickly penned down an 8-year $96 million deal, which will see him make $12 million a year.

Mikko Rantanen scripted NHL history following Game 7 hat trick against former team Avalanche

Mikko Rantanen stole the show on Saturday with a hat trick against his former team, Colorado Avalanche in Game 7. This hat trick saw him script NHL history.

Mikko Rantanen
Mikko Rantanen (Image via Yardbarker)

Rantanen’s hat trick against the Avalanche saw him become the first player in NHL history, to score a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7. His third goal also turned out to be his 4th point of the period. This also saw him become the first player to record 4 points in a period in back-to-back games.

This also marked a second straight year where the Avalanche have been eliminated from the playoffs by the Stars. Rantanen and his team will now gear up to face the Presidents Trophy winners, Winnipeg Jets, who made a similar comeback like them in Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues.

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