The Colorado Avalanche’s recent roster decisions have raised plenty of eyebrows across the league. While the front office hasn’t said much publicly, insiders suggest that Mikko Rantanen’s exit had little to do with his performance or locker-room dynamics and everything to do with what lies ahead financially.
Was Mikko Rantanen a Cap Casualty in Colorado’s Long-Term Plan?
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Avalanche’s decision to part ways with Rantanen wasn’t spur of the moment. Speaking on “The FAN Hockey Show,” Friedman hinted that Colorado had been planning for a potential cap crunch tied to one player in particular, Cale Makar.
Makar, who signed a six-year, $54 million deal back in 2021, is still under that contract. But come July 1, 2026, he’ll be eligible to negotiate an extension, and that’s where things could get complicated.
“Colorado’s been preparing for this, that’s one of the reasons the Rantanen situation unfolded the way it did, is because they were looking into the future at Makar’s money,” Friedman explained.
The fallout was both sudden and surreal for Rantanen. Within a span of six weeks, the Finnish forward was traded twice. He was first traded from Colorado to Carolina, then from Carolina to the Dallas Stars.
The 28-year-old winger, who was set to become a free agent this summer, was eventually flipped to Dallas in a blockbuster deal that sent Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks, and two third-rounders to the Hurricanes. The Stars quickly locked him in with an eight-year, $96 million extension.
“I know the city well enough and everything there, and I’ve only heard good things about the organization and everything, so at the end of the day, it was easy,” Rantanen said after the deal was finalized. “Easy decision at that point.”
He wasted no time proving them right. Rantanen tallied 88 points in 82 games, then delivered a standout postseason with 22 points in 18 playoff games, including a Game 7 hat trick that knocked out his former team, the Avalanche.
Colorado’s Long Game
The Avalanche, meanwhile, are playing the long game. With Nathan MacKinnon already commanding top dollar and Makar’s potential mega-extension on the horizon, the front office was forced to make a difficult decision.
Makar’s current $9 million cap hit looks like a bargain now, but in two years, that number could nearly double. Colorado, determined to keep its defensive cornerstone while maintaining roster flexibility, opted to move Rantanen before his contract became an obstacle.
It wasn’t about desire or talent; it was about survival in a tight cap era.
While Avalanche fans may still struggle to accept the move, insiders agree that Rantanen’s departure wasn’t a hockey decision. It was a cap decision that was made with Makar’s future in mind.