Yahoo Sports If Blackhawks Can't Acquire Pettersson, Rantanen Should Be Top Priority
It makes a lot of sense that the Chicago Blackhawks would be targeting an elite player on the younger side who is already established to bolster the team. The moves to bring in mostly veterans hasn't worked out as none of them are more than top-6 support players.
That being said, Connor Bedard really needs that elite winger or running mate to play in the top-6 and on the power play. That could be Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche if contract talks don't go the Avs' way.
Where Colorado is in the standings with another legitimate chance of challenging at the Stanley Cup, in no way do I think Rantanen is going to get traded if he doesn't sign a contract with the Avalanche by the trade deadline. You don't trade a player like that unless he explicitly says he isn't signing.
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Contract talks haven't gone great, but both sides are at least trying. If the Blackhawks are going to bring in Rantanen, it's going to be after the season.
The Blackhawks are very likely not making the playoffs, so their season will be done in April. As for Colorado, there's a good chance they will at least make playoffs. If they go deeper, that pushes the time to have more in depth contract negotiations closer to July 1.
Whether Chicago has to wait until free agency opens to offer Rantanen the best contract or the team can strike a deal with Colorado before free agency in a sign-and-trade, the Blackhawks should be all over it.
Rantanen is one of the best players in the NHL and he is on pace to finish over a point-per-game for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. He is also coming off of back-to-back 100+ point seasons and has 122 goals in the last 211 games. He is very big and in his prime. This would give Bedard that elite winger he's needed without waiting for the young players to develop or break out.
Chicago has more than enough cap space as it stands. The team will have much more if they end up trading Seth Jones as rumors suggest as well.
Rantanen is going to be one of the highest paid players in the league, and he's earned it. With a team like the Blackhawks who are on the rise, players like this don't come around very often if Chicago indeed has a chance to get him.
I expect the Blackhawks to be active in the off-season again, and after moving some players at the trade deadline, see what they have and make a big splash. If that splash is Rantanen, we won't be talking about them at the bottom of the league anymore.
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