David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period revealed the four teams Mikko Rantanen was willing to sign an extension with and named the Vegas Golden Knights as one of those teams.
Along with the Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars, Rantanen was open to discussing an extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers. The 28-year-old played the first 619 games of his career with the Colorado Avalanche, scoring 287 goals and 681 points.
After ongoing disputes about contract extensions with the Avalanche, GM Chris McFarland shocked the hockey world, sending Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes. Rantanen would go on to play just 13 games with the Hurricanes before they too moved him after he informed them he would not re-sign.
Reports had stated the Golden Knights could be an option for Rantanen, but no formal deal or proof has shown the Golden Knights went out trying to acquire him. Alongside the Stars, both the Panthers and Maple Leafs submitted offers, with the Maple Leafs reportedly having a deal in place with Rantanen and an offer the Hurricanes gave serious thought to.
The Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers, two Pacific Division rivals, both had high hopes of working out a deal, but Rantanen expressed no desire to join those clubs.
Rantanen is a tremendous player who would have provided the Golden Knights with a massive offensive boost. Finding the assets to give up and making space in the salary cap would have been incredibly difficult, but it would have been another franchise-altering move, similar to acquiring Jack Eichel.
The 10th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft had been a thorn in the Golden Knights’ side during his time with the Avalanche and will be for the next eight seasons he spends with the Stars.
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