The Carolina Hurricanes have become the talk of the NHL since they acquired star forward Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche. Since his arrival, however, Rantanen’s future with the Hurricanes has grown foggy.

Copyright © 2025 Bleacher Report, Inc. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.

The NHL trade deadline is just under one week away, set for noon PST on Friday, March 7. The biggest story heading into this pivotal week of the season is the circumstances surrounding Mikko Rantanen and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Several notable players could be dealt ahead of March 7 NHL trade deadline

After participating in the 4 Nations, Rantanen is facing questions about his future and adjusting to his new surroundings.

The Mikko Rantanen experiment hasn't worked with the Carolina Hurricanes, and he could be on the move again before the trade deadline.

According to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, it looks like Carolina is leaning toward keeping Rantanen in tow through the end of the season whether or not he commits to signing a contract extension before the March 7 trade deadline.

It seems Carolina’s only focus right now is keeping Rantanen, whether as an extended player or worst case as a rental.

The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, and contenders across the league are trying to get the firepower that they need to make a push for the Stanley Cup. The Carolina Hurricanes tried to do that near the end of January when they traded for star winger Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche.