The Colorado Avalanche trading Mikko Rantanen appears to have caught star Nathan MacKinnon off guard just as much as everyone else.
"Great friend, 10 years together, won the Cup, obviously. It's just sad," MacKinnon told the media, including DNVR Sports, after Colorado's 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. "I don't know exactly what happened. I called Mikko shortly after, (and) we talked for close to 20 minutes. It's just unfortunate losing a great friend, great teammate. Yeah, I'm going to miss him."
MacKinnon added that he thought Rantanen, a pending unrestricted free agent, and his contract situation would proceed similarly to how it did with captain Gabriel Landeskog when the Avs signed him to an eight-year deal on the day before he would've become a UFA for the first time.
"When Gabe didn't sign, it went to like the last hour, and (his contract) was up, so I just assumed it would be kind of the same thing (with Rantanen)," MacKinnon said. "I never thought in a million years he would leave, so yeah, it just sucks."
MacKinnon also said he wasn't the only member of the Avalanche taken back by Friday's blockbuster trade.
"A lot of the guys are just shocked," he said. "It's pretty crazy, someone like that getting traded, right now, even. "(He was) a big part of our team, our culture. (He was) here in the dog days in (2016-17) all the way up to now, and helped grow this organization into a Stanley Cup winner and obviously (us) being a contender every season, (he's) a big reason why."
The Avalanche traded Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-way deal that included the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hurricanes received Rantanen, plus Taylor Hall and the rights to forward prospect Nils Juntorp from Chicago. Colorado got forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, along with a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder, from Carolina.
Chicago retained 50% of Rantanen's $9.25-million cap hit and acquired a 2025 third-round selection.
MacKinnon and Rantanen were in their 10th season playing together. Rantanen was instrumental in helping Colorado win the Cup in 2022, and he's coming off back-to-back seasons with over 100 points.
The Avalanche drafted Rantanen 10th overall in 2015.
