Avalanche Journal: Colorado, Carolina lost Mikko Rantanen, but both clubs have rebounded well

BOSTON The Colorado Avalanche returned to New England this weekend for the first time since the exchange that changed everything Colorado sent away Mikko Rantanen on a Friday night with the club in Boston getting ready to face the Bruins on a Saturday afternoon It was a stunning move one that has been analyzed and dissected from every short- medium- and long-term angle and one that still isn t done impacting the future of the franchise There is one other gang in the NHL that knows this experience The Carolina Hurricanes also lost Rantanen last season six weeks after trading for him from the Avalanche in one of the biggest transactions in franchise history Those two teams met at Ball Arena on Thursday night It was a celebration of their pasts with glorious Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers uniforms It was also a wild challenge between two of the best teams in the NHL in - Both clubs have lost Rantanen one of the best players in the world but are in the process of moving on Both clubs look like they are going to be just fine However you want to analyze it I think both organizations did alright considering the pieces that were moved and shuffled around Carolina coach Rod Brind Amour revealed It was a gut punch for both organizations for different reasons Rantanen was a homegrown star for the Avalanche He was a Stanley Cup champion and a beloved figure both in the dressing room and among the fan base Teams do not pact that type of participant in the NHL For Carolina Rantanen was a massive addition While the Avalanche has been favored with all-time greats the Hurricanes have rarely had a superstar at the peak of his powers Rantanen s addition was a announcement of intent Then six weeks later he was gone Teams do not business for that type of participant and then send him away six weeks later in the NHL It s a weird one Hurricanes center Jordan Staal mentioned It s an captivating one to think about talk about and write about I think we did a good job of backpedaling out of that one the way it all played out We came out of it with a great participant and selected picks Rantanen s last competition for Carolina was oddly enough against Boston the unit he was preparing to face when Colorado sent him away The Avs pivoted with a massive roster makeover adding Martin Necas and Jack Drury in the deal from Carolina then further overhauling the company just before the contract deadline The Hurricanes didn t have time to rebuild the plane after dealing Rantanen because that happened at the deadline Still both teams finished last regular season strong Colorado had what it thought was a rebuilt war machine though Rantanen and his new organization the Dallas Stars dismantled it with a stunning Battle comeback Carolina won of games after the second Rantanen pact and then the Hurricanes advanced to the conference finals before losing to the eventual champs the Florida Panthers Both clubs made further alterations this offseason that were practicable in part because Rantanen s large contract was not on the books Colorado was able to retain one of its big deadline additions center Brock Nelson The Avs were also able to sign veteran Brent Burns last seen with the Hurricanes to an incentive-laden contract Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns gestures as he is honored for playing his th competition before the first period of an NHL hockey tournament against one of his former teams the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday Oct in Denver AP Photo David Zalubowski With Nelson and Drury at center and Burns on defense plus much better healthcare for its core group of players the Avs are as deep and talented in October as they ve been since lifting the Stanley Cup in They came to Boston with a - - record despite zero games from starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and two other key guys Samuel Girard Logan O Connor on the injured list Carolina had its chance to recast its post-Rantanen roster this summer The Hurricanes who added Logan Stankoven in the deal from Dallas have already signed the -year-old center to a long-term contract They also picked up Taylor Hall from Chicago in the transaction and the Blackhawks retained a chunk of his cap hit Now privileged with a stockpile of extra draft picks they sent Scott Morrow plus first- and second-round picks to the Rangers for K Andre Miller who was a restricted free agent but is also now signed to a long-term deal And the Hurricanes made a big splash in free agency landing ex-Winnipeg forward Nikolaj Ehlers Plus top prospect Alexander Nikishin has revealed a regular role in his first full season in North America I think we made out very well Carolina forward Seth Jarvis explained Stankhoven and Hall we got specific awesome players but also guys that fit our organization really well and fit in with the way we play I think it s made our organization a lot better Related Articles Ball Arena ups its food championship for - Nuggets Avs seasons with Redeemer Pizza Nola Jane After rare Scott Wedgewood dud Trent Miner salvages point in Avalanche s shootout loss to Carolina Valeri Nichushkin Trent Miner help rally Avalanche for a point in shootout loss to Hurricanes For three Avalanche players facing Hurricanes a big moment I want to beat them A fantastic shot secured an Avalanche point but didn t salvage Martin Necas frustrating night Carolina won at Ball Arena and moved to - - on the season Are the Hurricanes better at present than they were the day before Rantanen arrived They ve swapped out Necas Drury and Burns while adding Ehlers Stankoven Hall and Miller Carolina also still has plenty of cap space to go after another high-end participant and the Stars first-round pick to use in a foreseen deal If you want a good competitor you have to exchange good players Staal explained That s just how it works Our management made the decision I think that was really the decision to make I still love that we re trying to get the best players and trying to be the best gang That was a shot that kind of didn t hit I m sure there was a limited mistakes here and there but we got a great athlete in Stankoven and specific assets for the future Colorado does not have as much cap space or asset capital but the Avs can have enough prospective room below the cap ceiling before the arrangement deadline to make another impact move particularly if a player like Ross Colton or Girard goes the other way to free up even more The Avs have been in Stanley Cup-or-bust mode for years and have a well-earned reputation for fearless aggression around the business deadline The Hurricanes were not that franchise but now they are Both of these organizations lost a great performer Dallas is a clear winner because Rantanen is a fabulous competitor and signed at a reasonable number But that doesn t mean that Colorado and Carolina are clear losers in the aftermath It might be the opposite in fact We ll see what happens with the Avalanche and Necas but in the short term both franchises have come out the other side with Cup contender status still intact Want more Avalanche news Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis