On Friday, Jan. 24, the Carolina Hurricanes completed a three-way trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks to gain two new players, forwards Taylor Hall and Mikko Rantanen. In exchange for Hall and Rantanen, Carolina traded away Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and three picks in the 2025 and 2026 drafts.
The Canes scored big by adding Rantanen to the roster. Ahead of last night’s game against the Rangers, Rantanen was ranked No. 7 for points in the league with 64 and 25 goals under his belt. The Canes’ top points earner before Rantanen was Necas at No. 12 with 57 points. Sounds like an upgrade to us.
Hall has 24 points on the season, putting him at the same level of Canes players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Robinson, but with nearly 900 games played in the NHL, we think Hall’s longtime experience could set him apart from the pack.
Ahead of the Rangers game, the Canes were ranked No. 5 in the league with 64 points and 30 wins. We’re hopeful this trade sets the Canes up for success, and who knows, maybe it’s starting to feel like 2006 in Raleigh. Take a peek at the new lineup at an upcoming game.
